Justice Ministry maintains 24-hour monitoring of child rapist after public disclosure ends

Cho Doo-soon, who was released from prison after serving 12 years for sexual assault of a child, is pictured after completing administrative procedures in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 12, 2020. (Joint Press Photo)

The Ministry of Justice said Wednesday it is maintaining round-the-clock supervision of convicted child sex offender Cho Doo-soon after the expiration of his personal information disclosure period earlier this month.

“Even after the end of Cho Doo-soon’s personal information disclosure period, he is being managed without gaps through 24-hour location tracking and one-on-one supervision by a dedicated probation officer,” the ministry said in a statement.

He is not permitted to leave his residence alone and must be accompanied by a probation officer to reduce the risk of reoffending.

The ministry further explained that it is working to curb the risk of reoffending by providing weekly psychiatric treatment. Cho is also required to notify police and local authorities if he changes his place of residence.

Cho kidnapped, raped and severely injured an elementary school student in 2008 in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and was released in 2020.

Taking into account the nature of his crimes, the court ordered Cho’s personal information to be made public for five years. That order expired on Dec. 12, making his personal information no longer available on the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s online sex offender database.

Although public disclosure of his personal information has ended, Cho remains subject to mandatory offender registration under Justice Ministry supervision until Dec. 11, 2030, and is required to continue wearing an electronic ankle monitor.

Cho has previously violated probation conditions six times. In December 2023, he was sentenced to three months in prison for violating the Act on Electronic Monitoring after breaching nighttime movement restrictions.