Local EU Statement on the Day against the Death Penalty
The Ambassadors of the European Union and the 27 Member States of the European Union in the Republic of Korea reiterate the EU’s strong opposition to the death penalty around the world and call for its final abolition in the Republic of Korea. The Ambassadors recognise and welcome the de-facto moratorium on the implementation of executions since 1998, but note that around sixty people are still under sentence of death in Korea, and that the legal provisions for capital punishment continue to be in place. It also welcomes the country’s ‘yes’ vote on the death penalty moratorium resolution in the UNGA 3rd Committee.
The Ambassadors recall that the National Human Rights Commission of Korea recommended that the Republic of Korea accede to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, declare an official moratorium on the implementation of executions and take gradual measures to abolish the death penalty. They also recall the letters by the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, which set out the EU position against the death penalty, ahead of the Constitutional Court’s deliberations on its constitutionality in the Republic of Korea. The EU will be following closely the Constitutional Court’s deliberations.
Capital punishment is cruel, inhumane and degrading - not only to those sentenced but also to everyone involved. No compelling evidence exists that capital punishment serves as a deterrent to crime and contributes to public safety. The death penalty also allows judicial errors to become irreversible and fatal. The European Union expresses its firm and unequivocal opposition to the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances.