Lee Su-jeong "Jo Doo-soon is a psychopath... His return to Ansan is a psychological attempt to gain attention"

Professor Lee Su-jeong, Department of Criminal Psychology, Kyonggi University. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Professor Lee Soo-jung of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University analyzed that Jo Doo-soon (68), a 'child sex offender' scheduled for release this December, "shows psychopathic tendencies seeking attention."

Professor Lee appeared on JTBC's 'Banggu-seok 1-yeol' broadcast on the 15th and said, "Jo Doo-soon scored 29 out of 40 points on the psychopathy test," explaining this analysis.

In the broadcast, they discussed the movie 'Wish,' which deals with the Jo Doo-soon case, and examined the seriousness of child sex crimes and issues within the judicial system.

Professor Lee said, "I couldn't properly watch (Wish) because I imagined the victim's pain," and mentioned, "At the time of the Jo Doo-soon case in 2008, the maximum sentence for child sexual abuse cases under sentencing guidelines was 12 years."

She added, "Besides the Jo Doo-soon case, there was another case involving the sexual assault of six minors, and the perpetrator in that case was also sentenced to 12 years," and continued, "That offender reoffended just eight days after release and received an 18-year sentence in the first trial."

She explained, "The 12-year sentence (Jo Doo-soon received) was by no means a short sentence. However, after watching the movie, it seems absurd," and added, "Sentences for sexual crimes are lower than those for murder. Although there is much debate, the current sentencing guidelines are like this."

Furthermore, Professor Lee diagnosed Jo Doo-soon as "indeed a psychopath," explaining, "His talk about returning to Ansan is an attempt to assert his presence in the community and shows psychopathic tendencies seeking attention. He scored 29 out of 40 points on the psychopathy test, a score rarely achieved except by serial killers."

She also said, "Even after hundreds of hours of psychological treatment, he was judged to have unstable pedophilic tendencies," and added, "The 'Jo Doo-soon Act,' which enforces one-on-one dedicated monitoring for sex offenders against minors, was enacted, but it cannot prevent access to victims. The Jo Doo-soon case is an incident that will be recorded in modern history," expressing concern.

Finally, Professor Lee said, "At the time of the Jo Doo-soon case, because of the requirement for a victim's complaint, the victim's intention for prosecution had to be repeatedly confirmed," and noted, "It is significant that the complaint requirement was abolished as a result of this case."

Jo Doo-soon was sentenced to 12 years in prison in December 2008 for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old child on the way to school in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, and is currently serving his sentence. He is scheduled for full release on December 13.

Previously, in 2009, Jo Doo-soon scored 17 points on the Sexual Offender Recidivism Risk Assessment Scale. A score above 13 indicates a high risk of reoffending. His psychopathy test score was 29, exceeding the average for serial sex offenders. The probation office also judged a risk of reoffense based on interview results.

At the end of July, during a pre-interview with the probation office, Jo Doo-soon stated he would live in Ansan, where he committed the crime after release. It is known that his wife resides in Ansan. The victim's family ultimately decided to leave Ansan.

The Ministry of Justice announced plans to implement one-on-one electronic monitoring immediately after Jo Doo-soon's release for 24-hour close surveillance. Additionally, the area within a 1 km radius of his residence will be designated a women’s safety zone, and 35 additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed to strengthen safety measures for local residents.