Retroactive Implementation of Sex Offenders Law Planned

The government and the ruling Grand National Party agreed yesterday to seek retroactive enforcement of a law requiring sex offenders to wear electronic anklets for monitoring.

The two sides held a meeting on sex crimes against children amid national outrage over the rape and murder of a teenage girl in Busan by a repeat sex offender.

The party’s floor leader Ahn Sang-soo and chief policymaker Kim Sung-jo, Justice Minister Lee Kwi-nam, National Police Agency Commissioner General Kang Hee-rak and others agreed that the anklets are not subject to the principle of non-retroactivity because they are not a punishment but a security measure.

Ruling party lawmaker Park Min-sik told a news briefing that after reviewing rulings by the top courts of Korea and the U.S., the principle of non-retroactivity can significantly be eased because a security measure is aimed to prevent risk.

“Buy such an approach can be taken in extremely limited cases with due legal procedures to prevent human rights violations,” he said.

The party will begin revising clauses in the criminal law soon on details such as who is subject to retroactivity and how far back the rule can be applied.

dnsp@donga.com