The Ministry of Justice on Tuesday (Feb. 21) announced a plan to consider adopting non-commutable life sentences to effectively cope with grave crimes which pose a threat to the rule of law.

The ministry also said it would overhaul capital punishment and consider whether to abolish it.

The plan is part of the ministry's long-term roadmap to reform the nation's penal system to better protect criminals' human rights and strengthen an effective criminal justice system.

“We will thoroughly examine the abolishment of the death penalty as part of efforts to set up a human rights-oriented penal system,” a ministry official said.

The ministry will review whether capital punishment is effective in preventing crimes and how society will be affected if the penalty is abolished.

The government also plans to study changes in the frequency of violent crimes in foreign countries that have scrapped capital punishment, including France and Germany, as well as countries which re-adopted the system after having already abolished it.

Whenever controversy has emerged about the death penalty, the ministry has taken the position that it is premature for the nation to scrap it, claiming the number of violent crimes is not decreasing.

“We will review the adequacy of introducing permanent life imprisonment which cannot be remitted by parole, as well as a cost and effect analysis of the system,” the official said.

The ministry will also support fact-finding projects to clarify human rights abuse cases and illegalities the state committed in the past.

Besides cooperating with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it will organize committees to reveal its own past wrongdoings if needed, and examine the issues extending statutes of limitations for past cases.

The government also plans to consider changing current policy to grant voting rights to prisoners.

To secure suspects' rights to defense during investigation and trial without detention, the authority will also come up with criteria for detention and arrest.