DEATH FROM AROUND THE GLOBE...
Dateline: South Korea

WOULDN'T A MORE ACCURATE HEADLINE READ "66% OF PUBLIC DON'T THINK THE DEATH PENALTY SHOULD BE BANNED?"

The story...

34% of Public Says Death Penalty Should be Banned

A majority of Koreans are in favor of capital punishment according to the latest study conducted by the government's human rights watchdog. Only one out of three people surveyed said the death penalty should be scrapped, but many agreed changes to the current system were necessary.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea surveyed 2020 people on the death penalty system. They included 100 lawmakers, 113 judges, 100 correction counselors, 250 journalists among other groups and more than 1000 average citizens. 34.1 percent of the general public said the capital punishment system should be abolished. Correction counselors were more supportive of scrapping the death penalty at 80 percent, while 60 percent of legislators and 53.1 percent of judges responded that the system should be abolished. On the other hand, fewer numbers among prosecutors and prison officers responded in favor of annulling the system at 16.7 percent and 11.3 percent, respectively.

The commission said most people surveyed said the death penalty system should be maintained but added there were differing opinions on whether it can effectively prevent crimes and protect victims. The commission said the respondents commonly believed the scope of crimes subject to the death sentence should be reduced. The results of the latest survey will be used to draft an amendment to the capital punishment system.