It has been confirmed that individuals stripped of their national merit status due to serious crimes such as murder and sexual assault have regained their qualifications through re-examinations by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to People Power Party lawmaker Park Jun-tae, a total of 405 individuals lost their national merit status over the past six years after being sentenced to imprisonment without prison labor or heavier.
During the same period, 59 people regained their national merit qualifications. Under the Act on Persons of Distinguished Service to Independence, once three years have passed since the completion or exemption of a prison sentence, individuals can reacquire their status through a resolution by the Veterans Affairs Review Committee, taking into consideration factors such as remorse.
However, it was revealed that even ex-convicts who committed serious crimes such as murder and sexual assault had their national merit qualifications restored.
Over the past six years, 12 individuals—including four who committed murder and eight who committed sex offenses such as sexual assault and harassment—regained their national merit status.
An individual whose 3-year prison sentence for attempted rape was finalized in 1971 regained national merit status following a 2021 review, citing reasons such as having no record of reoffending over 47 years and advanced age.
Another individual sentenced to two and a half years in prison for rape in the same year also recovered their qualifications after factors such as receiving a commendation from the Korea Freight Transport Association were taken into consideration.
It was also found that a murder offender recovered national merit status last year following an internal review by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
An individual who was stripped of national merit status after receiving a 12-year prison sentence for murder recovered their national merit status due to reasons such as no record of reoffending, 13 years of volunteer work experience, and advanced age.
Compensation paid over six years to the 59 people who reacquired their qualifications in this manner amounts to 1.32 billion won.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs explained, "Initially, serious criminals were excluded from re-examination targets, but as a case emerged in 2022 where an attempted murder offender reacquired qualifications through an administrative appeal, the Veterans Affairs Review Committee had no choice but to pre-reflect that precedent in its reviews."
Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by IYOO | Design by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
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