Korean Church holds life concert for death penalty abolition
The parliament failed to pass a bill to end capital punishment due to a lack of support from lawmakers since 1999
A scene from the South Korean film “Executioner.” South Korea has not executed anyone since 1997 but has yet to completely abolish the death penalty. (Photo: Hankyoreh)
By UCA News reporter
Published: May 09, 2023 09:17 AM GMT
A church-backed concert for life and peace called on the government to formulate a law to abolish the death penalty in South Korea.
The Sub-Committee on the Abolition of the Death Penalty of the Catholic bishops’ Justice and Peace Committee organized the concert at the Catholic Center in Myeongdong of the capital Seoul on April 28.
The concert was themed “Speaking of Peace, Singing for Life.”
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The event is among the regular annual programs by the committee which was suspended for four years due largely to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among the event partners were the Seoul Archdiocese Committee for Social Correction and Pastoral Care.
The program featured performances by the Tree of Peace Choir, singer Zoo, and musician Ye-ram.
The Tree of Peace performed a special song that urged politicians to make the “right decision” to abolish the death penalty.
The organizing committee also presented the Korean version of a book by Robert Badinter, a French lawyer, politician, and author whose vital efforts saw France abolish the death penalty in 1981 when he was the Minister of Justice.
Badinter served as the president of the Constitutional Council of France from 1986-1995. He authored many books and among the most notable titles is “Abolition: One Man’s Battle Against the Death Penalty” published in 2000.
The book records Badinter's efforts to abolish the death penalty at the risk of public opinion during his time as Minister of Justice, and his conscience as a lawyer who has opposed the death penalty throughout his life.
Attorney Raphael Nam Seung-han, who oversaw the translation of the book said that the courage of Badinter and other French politicians should encourage Korean lawmakers to strike down the death penalty.
“The courage and determination of Badinter and French politicians, who overcame legal sentiment and achieved the abolition of the death penalty, is the strength of the National Assembly and government of Korea for the complete abolition of the death penalty. This is an example to follow,” he said.
“We must not forget that the way to truly comfort the victim is not revenge that deprives the perpetrator of life, but institutional consideration and support for the victim,” he emphasized.
Father Louis Hyun Dai-il, head of the Seoul Archdiocese Committee for Social Correction and Pastoral Care, praised the performers and participants.
“I am delighted that the performers effectively conveyed the message on the difficult topic of the abolition of the death penalty in an appealing way through the universal sensibility of music, and that many people attended as they found it meaningful,” the priest said.
“Our united voices singing courage and determination to a sick society that perpetuates the culture of death will eventually echo in the spring when peace and life bloom,” he added.
The death penalty is legally allowed in South Korea though it declared a moratorium on the death penalty after the last execution of 23 convicts on Dec. 30, 1997.
Civic groups joined by the Catholic Church have been pressing successive governments for legislation to completely abolish the death penalty.
A law seeking a blanket ban on the death penalty has been pending with the parliament for years.
The Special Bill on the Abolition of the Death Penalty was first proposed and tabled on Dec. 7, 1999. The National Assembly failed to pass the bill on nine occasions.
The last time the bill was tabled was on Oct. 7, 2021, and only some 30 out of 300 parliamentarians endorsed it.
Earlier, the European Union sent an official letter to the Constitutional Court of South Korea in support of the abolition of the death penalty.
In two earlier hearings, the top court had ruled in favor of the death penalty in 1996 and 2010, with judges voting 7-2 and 5-4 respectively. For the death penalty to be termed unconstitutional 6 out of 9 votes must be in favor of abolishing the practice.
Despite the moratorium on the execution, South Korea sentenced one person to death in 2018 and another 61 individuals remain on death row, according to the New York-based rights group, Parliamentarians for Global Action.
The East Asian nation ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1990 but has yet to ratify the Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, the group noted.
This report is brought to you in partnership with the Catholic Times of Korea.