South Korea should reveal criminal identities to reduce recidivism rates and since citizens have a right to know.

The nation has a crime rate of 0.06 per 100,000 people, which makes it one of the safests countries in the world.

Yet, it is called “the criminal’s nation of paradise.”

Why? It is because South Korea does not disclose the identity of criminals, give harsh sanctions, or sentence heinous criminals to death, making it the best place for criminals to live. 

Despite committing heinous felonies, sex offenders are protected by the Korean government due to criminal rights. 

The press or news blur the criminal’s faces in pictures and only print their last or fake names, inevitably protecting the human rights of sex offenders more than those of non-criminal citizens. 

Even though Korea has disclosed the identity of some heinous criminals, it is of little use if they are allowed to cover their face in public. 

Cho doo-soon, a 56-year-old male sex offender who kidnapped and raped an 8-year-old girl in the church bathroom, was one of the most infamous sex offender in Korea, yet his face was not shown to the public. 

Only one picture of his portrait is revealed on the internet.

This led to people speaking up about self protection and the need to reveal the criminal’s mugshot. 

By disclosing sex offenders, the nation satisfies the citizen’s right to know.

The public has the right to know the reality of society. 

The fact that perpetrators committing crimes that receive public attention is a social reality.

On this premise, a disclosure of the criminal’s identity is essential. 

Of course, there are arguments on whether South Korea should violate an individual’s right to privacy because of the public’s right to know. 

According to the Korean Constitution, however, “[t]he freedoms and rights of citizens may be restricted by Act only when necessary for national security, the maintenance of law and order or for public welfare” (Paragraph 37, Article 2).

It is legal to restrict an individual’s right for the public welfare. 

In contrast, the United States immediately discloses the basic information of sex offenders or murderers.

Japan also disclosed the information of a suspect who injured seven pedestrians-by indiscriminate murder even before the conviction was confirmed. 

Both of these countries had prioritized the right to public knowledge over privacy rights and the criminal’s right to privacy. 

In particular, Japan belongs to the same culture as South Korea, and the legal system is very similar to South Korea. 

If Japan recognizes the disclosure of criminals and sets various standards accordingly, Korea can also fully accept the disclosure system.

The disclosure system is an administrative act to provide information to its citizens, reducing potential crimes. 

Notification of sex offenders’ identities aid in crime and recidivism prevention. 

If South Korean citizens are aware of all criminal’s identities, the crime rate in South Korea is sure to plummet, reducing recidivism in the country. 

The disclosure of a perpetrator's identity raises awareness that committing serious crimes can also lead to loss of social honor, thus playing a beneficial role in preventing potential crimes and building a social safety net. 

According to the Washington Public Institute for Public Policy, “[t]he felony sex recidivism rate for post-1997 offenders is 5 percentage points below the pre1990 rate—equivalent to a 70 percent reduction in felony sex recidivism.“ 

This was after the 1990 Community Protection Act and subsequent amendments required the government to release information to the public. 

The disclosure system would be effective in preventing further crimes, and the results confirm the value of community notification. 

In addition, the disclosure system allows additional witness statements from people by revealing the perpetrator’s face to society, and in the end can help investigate cases.

For the principle of “protecting the property and life of the people” even in the definition of the state, as many say, it is necessary to disclose the identity of sex offenders.

Michelle Kim

Grade 11

Korea International School