7 Proposed Amendments Including 'Appearance Disclosure Within 30 Days' Pending
Ruling Party: "Effectiveness of Personal Information Disclosure System Must Be Ensured"
The case of Jeong Yujeong (23), who murdered a peer woman, mutilated the corpse, and abandoned it, has reignited discussions on promoting the 'Criminal Mug Shot Disclosure Act' (mug shot: a photograph recording a criminal's facial features).
According to the National Assembly Legislative Information System, as of the 10th, seven bills have been proposed to amend the 'Special Act on the Punishment of Specific Violent Crimes (Special Violent Crimes Act)' to disclose the current appearance rather than past appearance when revealing the suspect's identity.
Among them, the amendment bill led by Park Hyungsoo of the People Power Party requires that the suspect's face be photographed and disclosed within 30 days from the date the decision to disclose the suspect's face is made. Song Eon-seok, also from the same party, proposed a similar amendment to increase effectiveness by disclosing the suspect's appearance within 30 days from the decision to disclose the suspect's identity. Furthermore, Park Deokheum of the same party proposed a more detailed amendment that allows the disclosure of photos and videos obtained or taken during the investigation if necessary, and prohibits the suspect from covering their face with masks or other means when directly disclosing their face.
Jeong Yujeong (23), accused of murdering a peer woman and disposing of the body, is seen leaving Busan Dongnae Police Station on the morning of the 2nd, wearing a mask pulled up over her eyes. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Opposition and independent lawmakers have also proposed similar amendments. Lee Hyungseok of the Democratic Party of Korea led an amendment to disclose photos and videos taken during the investigation when revealing the suspect's identity, while Ahn Gyubaek of the same party included provisions to disclose separately taken photos to identify the suspect when disclosing the suspect's face. Additionally, Kim Yongmin of the Democratic Party and independent lawmaker Lee Seongman proposed amendments to establish specific legal standards related to the disclosure of suspect identity information.
The reason both ruling and opposition parties are demanding the disclosure of the actual appearance of criminals is due to ongoing criticism that the current system lacks effectiveness. Currently, when the police decide to disclose a suspect's identity, they typically release the ID photo. According to the Ministry of Justice's legal interpretation, disclosing a criminal's mug shot is possible, but it requires the suspect's consent. Since most suspects are reluctant to disclose their mug shots, the police have no choice but to release ID photos, even if they differ from the actual appearance.
On September 21 last year, Jeon Juhwan, the suspect in the murder of the Sindang Station attendant, is being transferred from Namdaemun Police Station to the prosecution. [Photo by Yonhap News]
In particular, many cases have involved the release of photos taken long ago or excessively retouched (Photoshopped) images. For example, when Jeon Juhwan, who was arrested last September for stalking a station attendant and murdering her in the women's restroom at Sindang Station in Seoul, had his face disclosed, there was much criticism because the ID photo released by the police differed significantly from the face exposed to the press during the prosecution transfer process.
In Jeong Yujeong's case, although an ID photo was released on the 1st, some claimed that even her classmates could not recognize her due to the significant difference between the ID photo and her actual face, and a high school graduation photo that looked completely different was also released online. Moreover, when Jeong stood at the photo line the next day, she wore a hat pulled down low and a mask covering up to below her eyes, effectively preventing her face from being disclosed at all.
In response, the People Power Party plans to actively promote the disclosure of criminal mug shots through related legal amendments. Jeong Jeomsik, the ruling party's floor spokesperson on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, stated at the party's strategy meeting on the 9th, "Most photos disclosed by the police are resident registration photos, which are often altered by Photoshop and differ greatly from the actual appearance. Therefore, in light of the Jeong Yujeong case, it is necessary to seek ways to ensure the effectiveness of the identity disclosure system." He added, "Since there is considerable consensus between the ruling and opposition parties, we will promptly discuss this issue to effectively guarantee the public's right to know and prepare measures to prevent recidivism and crime."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
