Maximum Prison Term Raised to 30 Years

The maximum prison term for convicted criminals will be raised from 25 to 30 years, the Justice Ministry said yesterday.

The limit of one prison sentence under Article 42 of the Penal Code will be raised from 15 to 20 years, and from 25 to 30 years if a convict is given additional punishment.

Commutation of the death penalty will result in either life imprisonment or 20 to 30 years in prison, instead of 10-15 years behind bars. Life imprisonment can be commuted to 15-30 years instead of seven to 15 years.

The ministry has revised laws on sex crimes to include stronger measures against sexual offenses against children in the wake of the brutal rape of an eight-year-old girl in September.

Commutation regulations for inmates in poor health will also be toughened. If an inmate is judged to be in poor health, he or she is given automatic commutation, but revision of the Penal Code, however, will allow judges to refuse commutation depending on the nature of a crime.

The statute of limitations for those who commit sexual crimes against children under 13 will be extended until the victims reach 20 years old. The statute of limitations for all sex criminals will be extended 10 years if concrete evidence such as DNA evidence is established.

jefflee@donga.com