Capital Punishment

Andy Park

Real Life Situation

Oh Won Chun

(Wu Yuan Chun in Chinese)

Real Life Situation

Capital Punishment in Korea

- Last Death Sentence: December 30, 1997, right before President Kim Dae Joong came to power.

- Despite 58 criminals sentenced to death, 0 execution conducted.

- An abolitionist country in practice.

RLS - Global Death Sentence

China Iran Saudi Arabia

Iraq United States

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Table 1. Number of people executed in 2011

Number of people ex-ecuted in 2011

Despite the same legislation,

Over 4,000 executions vs None

RLS - China and South Korea

What is it that made this contradiction although the two countries have the same legislation?

Knowledge Issue

To what extent can capital punishment be justified?

Capital Punishment is the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime.

Definition of Capital Punishment

WOK-Language

• Punishment: The infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offense.

• Retribution: Punishment that is considered to be morally right and fully deserved.

WOK-Language

• The legally authorized, morally right and fully deserved killing of a condemned criminal.

WOK-Language

My definition of Capital Punishment

According to the definition, capital punishment is justified when it is: Legally Authorized Morally Right Fully Deserved

WOK-Language

WOK-Language

WOK-Language

Legally Authorized Morally Right Fully Deserved

WOK-Language&Reason

According to the definition of capital punishment, a condemned criminal should be executed.

WOK-Language&Reason

Capital punishment is justified for the 57 criminals and Oh Won Choon.

Then why hasn’t South Korea executed the 58 criminals?

AOK-History

President during 1997-2002, Kim Dae Jung

AOK-History

President Chun Doo Hwan

WOK-Emotion

President Kim Dae Jung’s Perspective

“Please make him suffer as much as possible, or kill him.”

WOK-Emotion

Victim’s Relative’s Perspective

Oh Won

ChoonPerspective Toward Him

Hostility

Hostility

Despair

Sadness

Hatred

Hatred

Victim’s Relative

• Psychopath: Won Choon saw the woman no more than an animal.

• Still does not realize why he is in the prison.

WOK-Emotion

Criminal’s Perspective

WOK-Emotion&Reasoning

Concerned about security of some of my family because of:• 20 of the 58 criminals now out in the society.• Possibility of releasing more murderers including Oh

Won Choon.

My Perspective As A South Korean

AOK-Ethics

Capital punishment is ethical, and therefore, justified because:• A sacrifice of criminals will bring a greater happiness.• Potential crimes that death sentenced criminals might

produce will also be prevented.

Utilitarianism

However, life of a criminal is as valuable as others’ lives. Making the most people happy is not always ethical.

Knowledge Issue

To what extent can capital punishment be justified?

Answer to the Knowledge Issue will depend on which perspective people take.

Conclusion

Capital Punishment is justified when:- The sentence is considered morally right and fully

deserved by the court in the country.- The country must legally authorize capital punishment.- The condemned criminal is not a psychopath.

Limitation

• No experience of neither loss of a family member by a murderer nor the feeling of being a murderer.

• Solely relies on secondary information.• A South Korean citizen

The End