South Korea will collect and store DNA samples of convicted felons as part of efforts to reduce recidivism among violent criminals, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Wednesday.
Under the new law on the use and protection of DNA information, prosecutors and police will be authorized to collect DNA samples from
individuals arrested for committing one of 11 crimes, including murder, armed robbery, rape, sexual assault against children, drug use, kidnapping and extortion.
The new law to go into effect next week will first affect serial killers and notorious child molesters, including Cho Doo-soon, who was sentenced to 12 years in jail for raping an eight-year-old girl, and Kim Kil-tae, who was
given the death penalty for brutally raping and killing a 13-year-old girl.
The DNA samples will be stored at the state crime lab, the National Institute of Scientific Investigation, while profiles will be created and
filed in the government's databank, officials at the NPA said.
The government is expected to ultimately store DNA samples from nearly 15,000 felons every year, they noted.
"Once the DNA database is established, if a convict whose DNA is stored repeats a crime, the law enforcement agencies can identify the suspect with DNA found at the crime scene," an official at the NPA said. "This could also help solve unresolved cases."