Proposed by Song Eon-seok, Member of the People Power Party
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Recently, although the identities of perpetrators of violent crimes have been disclosed, controversies have arisen over the effectiveness of such disclosures due to the use of excessively retouched or outdated photos. In response, a bill has been proposed to mandate that photos disclosed must be taken within 30 days of the disclosure.
On the 3rd, Song Eon-seok, a member of the People Power Party, officially proposed the "Partial Amendment to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes" and the "Partial Amendment to the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes," which require that when disclosing the face of a suspect who committed a specific violent crime or sexual violence crime, the photo must be a recent image taken within 30 days.
Under current law, the face, name, age, and other personal information of suspects who committed specific violent crimes or sexual violence crimes can be disclosed. However, there is no regulation on the timing of the photo disclosed, leading to issues and criticism that outdated photos are used, making it difficult to accurately identify the suspect’s current appearance. This controversy has been especially prominent in recent cases such as the Sindang Station stalking murder case and the Ilsan taxi driver and cohabitant murder case, where the disclosed photos of suspects significantly differed from their current appearance.
Rep. Song stated, "Although the criminal acts of heinous offenders have become a significant social issue recently, many disclosed photos of suspects differ from their current appearance, reducing the effectiveness of the disclosure. If this amendment passes, it will be easier for the public to identify suspects, enhancing the effectiveness of the system and ultimately strengthening public safety against crime."
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