Children Dashing Toward Oncoming Vehicles... Dangerous Play Trend Spreading

On the 21st, a black box video showing a child hiding in a parked car running toward an approaching vehicle was uploaded on the online community BobaeDream's Instagram account.
[Photo by Instagram capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Although the 'Minsik Law,' which imposes heavier penalties for traffic accidents occurring in school zones, has been in effect for over a year, there is growing concern as cases of the law being abused are increasing. One such example is the so-called 'Minsik Law play,' where children deliberately run into vehicles to startle drivers.

On the 21st, a black box video was posted on the Instagram account of the online community Bobae Dream. The video showed a child hiding behind a parked car, then running toward an approaching vehicle.

The poster stated, "The child was hiding behind an illegally parked SUV Sorento near the corner, listening to the sound of the car and preparing to run, then ran when the car approached," and criticized, "To reduce child fatalities, lawmakers who were moved by Minsik's parents' tears and created the law should include illegal parking negligence in pedestrian accidents and prevent insurance settlements for accidents with strong intentionality, even under the Minsik Law, so children do not think they can earn pocket money by colliding with cars."

They added, "In such intentional accidents, the vehicle's fault should be 0% so that children do not engage in dangerous intentional accident play," and "If parents are behind this, they should be punished for child abuse."

On the 11th, in Jung-gu, Ulsan, after a driver stopped in a school zone and was waiting for the green light to go straight, a child ran onto the crosswalk as the light turned green and the vehicle started moving.
[Photo by YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV']

On the 11th, a similar case occurred in Jung-gu, Ulsan. According to a black box video released on the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-chul TV,' the driver was stopped in a school zone, waiting for a green light to go straight. When the green light turned on and the driver was about to start, they noticed children on the right side who were not crossing the crosswalk. The children appeared ready to dash out, and the driver kept watching them even after the light turned green.

The driver then slowly started the vehicle, and at that moment, a child ran onto the road. The driver immediately honked and stopped the car, causing the children to return to the sidewalk.

Attorney Han Moon-chul commented, "This is the most evolved form of Minsik Law play I've seen so far," and pointed out, "Because the driver saw the children in advance, the accident was prevented. What if the driver had been looking the other way and not to the right?"

He added, "In the past, children only pretended to chase behind the car or run in front, but now they deliberately wait and run out in groups," emphasizing, "Parents need to provide special guidance."

As such, the so-called 'Minsik Law play' is becoming popular among children, and videos are spreading across various online communities. There are calls for thorough safety education at schools and homes to ensure the essence of the Minsik Law, created for children's safety, is not compromised.

Additionally, since the enactment of the 'Minsik Law,' posts advocating for its repeal have been repeatedly posted on the Blue House's national petition site. Just as reckless play among some elementary school students can lead to actual traffic accidents, practical measures are needed to prevent abuse of the law.

Meanwhile, the 'Minsik Law,' enacted in March last year (an amendment to the Road Traffic Act), imposes heavier penalties on offenders who cause death or injury due to negligence in school zones. Driving at speeds over 30 km/h and injuring a child can result in imprisonment from one to fifteen years or fines ranging from 5 million to 30 million won, and causing a fatal accident can lead to imprisonment of three years or more, or life imprisonment.

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