Seoul (AsiaNews/CBCK) – The Committee for the Abolition of Capital Punishment of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK) has announced that it will present the government with a petition calling for the abolition of capital punishment in the country.

The commission's campaign against the death penalty was launched on "Human Rights Sunday", 4 December 2005; over 110,000 signatures have been collected so far, including those of the elected cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jinsuk, Archbishop of Seoul, all Korean bishops, and many Korean Catholics.

In the press release announcing the submission of the petition – entitled "Let's inspire respect for life in this land" – the commission said that "It is an individual who commits a crime, but all members of society are responsible for the criminal motives…. The abolition of capital punishment is the first step towards a world for living together. Capital punishment should be replaced by life sentence."

In his homily during Mass for the abolition, Mgr Bonifacio Choi Ki-san, Suwon bishop, said: "No one has the right to deprive people of life, because human life belongs only to God." He also asked the faithful to "pray for the abolition of the death penalty", so that Korea can become "a developed country concerning human rights where God-given life can be considered precious."

The Committee said it will continue to arrange meetings to increase public awareness and will seek to involve national MPs "as much as possible" in the struggle against the death penalty.