Personal Details of More Sex Offenders to Be Published

Minister of Gender Equality Paik Hee-young on Wednesday pledged to consider retroactive legislation that will allow personal details of sex offenders to be published on the Internet. The measure would apply to offenders who were found guilty prior to January this year.

The existing law requires the publication of personal information of child sex offenders convicted since January this year. "I realize there is controversy over the issue of retroactively applying the law, but we need to consider the matter from a forward-looking perspective," Paik told the Chosun Ilbo. "I will also pursue steps to publish the personal details of not only child sex offenders but all sex offenders."

Since its area of responsibility expands starting Friday to include family affairs, the Ministry of Gender Equality has become the government agency in charge of laws protecting people from sex crimes and seeking to prevent them.

Paik said she plans to cooperate with the Justice Ministry to scrap the statute of limitations on child sex offenses and revise existing laws so that authorities can mail photographs and personal information of sex criminals to residents where they live.