Amnesty Int'l urges Seoul against resumption of death penalty

SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Yonhap) -- The chief of Amnesty International (AI) has recently
ask South Korean President Lee Myung-bak not to resume the use of the death
penalty, with South Korea's ruling party seeking to restart capital punishment to
deter the outbreak of brutal crimes, AI's branch office in Seoul said Sunday.
AI Secretary General Irene Khan sent a letter to Lee last Friday expressing her
concern about South Korean politicians' move to resume the execution of death
penalty as part of their efforts to significantly toughen punishment for
convicted brutal criminals such as serial killers, said the office.
In the letter, Khan noted that the abolition of death penalty is an international
trend, due to the possibility of capital punishment resulting in violation of
human life and rights.
The death penalty has been suspended in South Korea for a decade, but a fierce
controversy has erupted after the nation was shaken by suspected serial killer
Kang Ho-sun, who recently confessed to killing seven women in suburban areas
south of Seoul over the past four years.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)