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Convicted child rapist Cho Doo-soon's info removed from public sex offender registry

Published: 15 Dec. 2025, 18:53

Convicted child rapist Cho Doo-soon answers questions from reporters after attending his first trial hearing at the Suwon District Court’s Ansan branch in Ansan, Gyeonggi, on March 11, 2024. [YONHAP]

The personal information of convicted child rapist Cho Doo-soon has been removed from the government-run sex offender registry, following the expiration of the mandated disclosure period.

According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Monday, Cho’s profile — including his photo, height, weight, current address and a summary of his crime — was deleted from the registry website and mobile app, the name of which roughly translates to “Sex Offender Alert-e,” on Friday.

Cho served 12 years in prison for the sexual assault of an elementary school girl and was released on Dec. 13, 2020. Citing the severity of his crime and his psychopathic tendencies, the court ordered his personal information to be made public for five years to help prevent recidivism. The purpose of public disclosure is to alert residents, especially parents, when a high-risk sex offender is released into their area.

Ahead of Cho’s release, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, dubbed the “Cho Doo-soon Prevention Law.” The revision expanded the level of detail disclosed to the public — now including the road names and building numbers of a criminal's residence, not just their neighborhood or district. For the past five years, the public could freely access Cho’s profile through the government-run platform.

With the disclosure period now expired, that information is no longer publicly available, raising concerns among parents that they will no longer be notified if Cho moves nearby.

Police patrol the area near convicted child rapist Cho Doo-soon's residence in Ansan, Gyeonggi, following his release from prison in December 2020. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Lim Sun-joo, the director of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s division for the protection of children and youth, said that Cho’s personal information will continue to be managed by authorities until 2030. The Ministry of Justice will continue to track any changes to his address or contact information, Lim added.

Since his release, Cho has lived in Ansan, Gyeonggi, under constant 24-hour police surveillance. Lim also noted that the police will maintain a dedicated task force to monitor him around the clock.

Cho is currently facing trial for leaving his residence without permission on two occasions. In October, he attempted to disrupt communication with court-ordered probation officers by unplugging his electronic monitoring device; another time, he damaged the device itself.

During the first hearing last month, prosecutors requested that the court impose a treatment and custody order, citing signs of mental illness. A psychiatric evaluation conducted by the National Forensic Hospital in July also concluded that Cho may require treatment.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY RHEE ESTHER [[email protected]]