Nearly 40,000 'Chokbeopsonyeon' in the Last 5 Years... Increasing Trend Every Year

Theft > Violence > Rape and Molestation Order
Assemblyman Kim Yong-pan "Effective Measures Must Be Established"

Kim Yong-pan, member of the People Power Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Recently, a social outcry has arisen following an incident where a teenager assaulted a man in his 60s, and it has been revealed that crimes committed by "Chokbeopsonyeon" (juveniles aged 10 to 14) have significantly increased.

According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Kim Yong-pan, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the People Power Party, a total of 39,694 Chokbeopsonyeon were referred to juvenile courts over the past five years. By year, the numbers were 6,576 in 2016, 7,533 in 2017, 7,364 in 2018, 8,615 in 2019, and 9,606 in 2020, showing an annual increase.

The most common type of crime was theft with 21,198 cases, followed by violence (8,984 cases), rape and molestation (1,914 cases), and arson (204 cases). Notably, last year saw a significant rise in murder and robbery, with 8 and 42 cases respectively. By age, 13-year-olds accounted for 25,502 cases, 12-year-olds 3,768 cases, 11-year-olds 3,571 cases, and 10-year-olds 2,238 cases.

Rep. Kim stated, "Although 14-year-olds today have much higher intellectual and physical abilities compared to those in the 1960s when the Criminal Act was established, effective policies to reduce the crime rate among Chokbeopsonyeon have been lacking," emphasizing, "there is a need for effective measures such as legal amendments that can distinguish between punishment and rehabilitation based on the severity of crimes among Chokbeopsonyeon."

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