During a national audit of courts in the Gwangju region, lawmakers criticized the life sentence given to Jang Yoon-ki, the perpetrator of a high school murder.
On October 20, at the Gwangju High Court, Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party pointed out during the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee audit that the first-instance court stated, "By sentencing Jang Yoon-ki to life imprisonment without parole, we can comfort the victims' families and prevent similar crimes." He further questioned, "Isn't the legal prohibition on parole not binding?" and called for improvements to the system.
Seo Young-kyu, chair of the Judiciary Committee and a member of the Democratic Party, also criticized the first-instance ruling, stating, "I believe Jang Yoon-ki should have received the death penalty." She added, "The National Assembly will expedite discussions on introducing a life sentence without parole."
Seo referenced a case where a mother was sentenced to life imprisonment for abusing her four-month-old child to death, only to have her sentence reduced to 35 years on appeal, asserting, "There should be no further reductions in sentences," and insisted that Jang Yoon-ki should receive the maximum penalty.
Both ruling and opposition parties expressed the need for a review of the first-instance ruling in Jang Yoon-ki's appeal.
Rep. Kwak Gyu-taek of the People Power Party remarked, "I saw the victim's mother collapse in tears after the first-instance ruling," emphasizing that the appeal must be conducted fairly and rigorously. Democratic Party Rep. Park Ji-won questioned, "Will the family be satisfied with the first-instance ruling?" urging the appellate court to consider the public outrage and impose the maximum legal penalty.
In response to these criticisms, Jang Yong-ki, president of the Gwangju District Court, clarified, "Parole is under the authority of the Ministry of Justice," and stated that the introduction of life sentences without parole should be determined through public consultation and expert discussions.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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