On October 30th, the State Council approved an amendment to the penal code that allows the sentencing of life imprisonment with no parole. The main point of the said amendment is setting a distinction between offenses eligible for parole and those that are not. Previously, offenders who were sentenced to life imprisonment were eligible for parole after 20 years. The amendment introduces a “without parole” condition to severe criminal offenses, such as violent acts involving weapons and sexual assault. This change aims to respond more strongly to criminal offenses that require stricter penalties. However, the proposed amendment has raised concerns about its violation of fundamental rights and the practicality of crime prevention. On the same day, Lawyers for a Democratic Society expressed their opinion about the amendment in an interview with Yonhap News, stating that the amendment is unconstitutional, infringes upon human dignity, and cannot be justified as a legitimate criminal policy. Furthermore, the Supreme Court’s Court Administration Office stated that “life imprisonment without parole” infringes on human rights no less than the death penalty and that the effectiveness of the amendment upon crime prevention is uncertain. As a result, the amendment is expected to raise further controversies as it progresses to the National Assembly.