This Nov. 1, 2022, file photo shows Hwaseong residents calling for the eviction of Park Byung-hwa, a serial rapist who moved into a residential building in the city after being released from prison. Park recently moved to Suwon, prompting city officials there to put in place additional safety measures for residents in and near the ex-convict's place of residence. Newsis

Authorities in Suwon are increasing safety measures for the public upon the return of Park Byung-hwa, a serial rapist who had spent 15 years in prison for raping 10 women.

At a meeting held in the city government's disaster and safety control room on Thursday, Mayor Lee Jae-joon said he would use “all means necessary” to ensure the safety of all residents.

He then approved measures such as installing additional surveillance cameras in and outside the building where Park resides and increasing the number of police patrols there.

This comes after Park moved into a studio complex at Ingye-dong, a busy area in the vicinity of many administrative buildings, hotels and shopping facilities.

It remains to be seen whether those measures will relieve residents' anxiety. When Park, 41, was released from prison in 2022 after serving a 15-year sentence, he moved into a studio complex in the city of Hwaseong, which triggered fierce protests from nearby residents.

The building owner, who was unaware of Park's criminal record, later filed a lawsuit to evict him but a court eventually dismissed the request.

At the time, Jeong Myeung-geun, the city's mayor, called for stronger legal measures to better protect residents and spoke with many lawmakers and journalists.

Park recently moved to Suwon, the city where he sexually assaulted 10 women in their 20s, including a pregnant woman, between 2002 and 2007.

The release of Park in 2022, along with that of another infamous sex criminal, Cho Doo-soon, aged 71, also in the same year, ignited a political debate over whether Korea should enact its own version of Jessica's Law. Such legislation would aim to restrict where sex offenders can reside, with the goal of protecting the public and minimizing opportunities for these individuals to commit repeat offenses.

But faced with opposition from the Democratic Party of Korea on grounds of the right to freedom of movement, such a bill proposed by the Ministry of Justice has never been able to reach a plenary session of the National Assembly.