On February 25, 2010, the Constitutional Court of Korea stated, in a five to four ruling, that the death penalty did not violate 'human dignity and value' protected in the Constitution. This is a major setback for Korea as abolitionist in practice declared on December 30, 2007.

Right after the ruling was announced, the CBCK Committee for Justice & Peace (President: Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san) issued a statement expressing its deep disappointment in the Constitutional Court's decision to uphold the death penalty. "The Constitutional Court made an anti-life decision, vindicating the death penalty. Although the State must protect the life of the people, its decision against humanity to uphold the death penalty would infringe on it."