Judge Cheon Jong-ho: "The Reason for Scolding Juvenile Offenders Is to Make Them Aware"

On the 15th, Judge Cheon Jong-ho, known as the "Strict Judge," appeared on the tvN entertainment program You Quiz on the Block. Photo by tvN, screenshot from You Quiz on the Block broadcast.

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Min Jun-young] Judge Cheon Jong-ho, known as the 'stern judge,' revealed the reason why he scolds in juvenile trials.

On the 15th, Judge Cheon appeared on the tvN variety show 'You Quiz on the Block' for a Constitution Day special.

In the broadcast, Judge Cheon explained the reason for his stern tone, saying, "If a judge scolds without dignity, it must be because of the circumstances," and added, "There are so many cases in juvenile trials that only 3 minutes are given per person. Juvenile offenders receive light punishments that allow them to finish the trial and leave within 3 minutes. If that happens, they won't develop a sense of seriousness in the courtroom."

He said, "I scold them hoping they will never stand in court again," and explained, "I want them to understand how much tolerance society is showing them. I scold them as a warning that if they come back, they will face harsher punishments. There are even children who have stood in my court five times over three years."

He continued, "Many of the offenders come from broken families. When a child steals cigarettes from a supermarket, usually the parents compensate for the damage and the matter is settled, but children who cannot do so end up in court," and added, "Parents who have left to find work hear about their children's trials and come to court to ask for leniency. Some parents see their children for the first time in years," evoking sympathy.

In response to Yoo Jae-suk's question about whether the Juvenile Act is somewhat lenient, he said, "I uphold its spirit but am stricter than any other judge," and explained, "The heaviest juvenile protective measure is the '10th measure.' It involves sending the juvenile to a juvenile detention center with a maximum protection period of two years. Because I impose this measure frequently, I earned the nickname 'Cheon 10-ho' (Judge Cheon 10th measure)," which brought laughter.

Finally, he added, "I am precise when punishing, but I hope our society makes more efforts to prevent reoffending after punishment."

Judge Cheon Jong-ho has handled juvenile trials for eight years since 2010, presiding over more than 12,000 juvenile offenders.

He gained attention in the past when a broadcast revealed his words to a juvenile offender accused of school violence who pleaded for leniency: "I have no intention of going easy on you, go back," which became a topic of discussion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.