제 목 : 김대중 전 대통령의 사형제도폐지 기고문
김대중 전 대통령은 국제앰네스티의 사형제도 폐지 캠페인에 대한 지지 기고문을 발표 하였다.
이 기고문은 사형제도 폐지가 21세기 세계적 흐름의 대세이고 사형집행은 진정한 해결이 아니며 민주주의와 인권사상에도 어긋나는 일이기 때문에 하루속히 한국을 포함한 전세계에서 사형제도가 폐지되어 민주주의가 완성되기를 하는 바램을 담고 있다.
국제앰네스티는 김대중 전 대통령이 내란음모죄로 사형을 선고 받았을 당시 ‘양심수’로 지정하여 구명활동을 전개 한 바 있으며, 국민의 정부 출범 이후 확고한 의지로 단 한 건의 사형도 집행하지 않음으로 인해 작금의 사형제도 폐지를 위한 단초를 제공한 것에 대해서 환영한 바 있다.
나아가 국제앰네스티는 2006년에는 한국에서 사형제도가 반드시 폐지 될 수 있도록, 2006년 한국을 ‘사형제도 폐지를 위한 집중 캠페인 국가’로 선정하여, 더욱더 활발한 활동을 벌이고자 하며 그 일환으로 김대중 전 대통령의 사형과 관련한 과거 경험과 연계하여 쓴 기고문을 세계 160개국의 국제앰네스티 회원들의 소식지에 실으려고 한다.
이번 기고문을 통해 사형제도의 폐지운동이 더욱 활발히 진행될 것으로 기대된다.
A Contribution to the Campaign of Amnesty International for the Abolition of Capital Punishment
February 20, 2006
It is the general trend in the 21st century to abolish capital punishment. Resolutions calling for the abolition of the death penalty have also repeatedly been brought up before the National Assembly in Korea.
Capital punishment goes against the foundation of democracy. Democracy regards the life of a human being to be the most cherished in the world, and to end a person’s life even in the name of law clearly runs counter to the basic principle of human rights.
In the case of capital punishment, there is no way to right the wrong after the execution has been carried out. We cannot completely rule out the possibility of a prosecutor or judge making a mis-judgement.
What is more worrisome is that there have been countless cases where dictators have misused the capital punishment to oppress and wipe out democratic advocates and political dissidents. This was what happened in the so-called People’s Revolution Party case in Korea when the participants were wrongfully accused and executed, and also when I was on the verge of being executed, being sentenced to death.
Pushing ahead with capital punishment does not lead to the reduction of crime, even when the criminal has committed a morally unforgivable crime. Rather, the capital punishment should be downgraded to life sentence so that the criminal can repent for his crime and become a new person.
Then, is this possible? Both good and evil exist in a person. A virtuous man can become a vicious man and vice versa, depending on his surroundings and his own efforts. We have witnessed countless times when a person who committed a heinous crime repents and turns over a new leaf.
During the five years of my presidential term, no capital punishment was carried out and in some cases the sentence was downgraded to life sentence. The reason was because capital punishment cannot be the true solution and it also goes against democracy and human rights. I dearly hope that capital punishment can be abolished to see the true completion of democracy not only in Korea but in the whole world.
Kim Dae-jung
Former President of the Republic of Korea
2000 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
