In South Korea, which is a de facto country that has abolished the death penalty, a debate has begun on ``life sentences without parole.''

The Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported the news that on the 18th of this month, the Kofu District Court handed down the death sentence to a ``specified juvenile'' defendant who was charged with murder and other crimes for killing a couple in their 50s in Kofu City. the article is