Ahn Cheol-soo: "Lower the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 for juvenile offenders... Strict punishment for serious juvenile crimes"

Mandatory Restorative Justice Programs for Juvenile Delinquency

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, announced plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility for juvenile offenders and introduce a 'restorative justice program.' The aim is to strengthen punishment and rehabilitation for juvenile crimes.

On the 9th, Candidate Ahn stated on Facebook, "I will lower the age of criminal responsibility for juveniles from 14 to 12 years old." He explained, "Nowadays, the physical and mental development of adolescents is not significantly different from adults, and many crimes committed by juveniles are as sophisticated and brutal as those by adults, making it necessary for the nation and society to respond accordingly. Serious juvenile crimes such as organized school violence, sexual violence, and heinous or antisocial offenses must be strictly punished."

He added, "The recidivism rate of juveniles under probation is three times that of adults. As of 2020, the number of juveniles sent to reformatories under the age of criminal responsibility reached 9,606, nearly 10,000. This is an increase of 3,030 compared to 6,576 four years ago."

Candidate Ahn also proposed lowering the 'juvenile age' under the Juvenile Act from under 19 years old to 18 years old.

Following the strengthening of punishment, he also presented measures for rehabilitation. Candidate Ahn pledged to mandate participation in programs based on 'restorative justice' for juvenile offenders and to establish a 'Youth Restorative Justice Committee' under the Ministry of Justice, staffed by rehabilitation experts. He explained, "It is not enough to simply strengthen punishment; offending youths must be made aware of the pain their actions cause victims, and victims should be able to express their suffering to offenders, helping the offenders to heal wounds through sincere apologies."

He also promised to enhance character, ethics, and social education in the regular curriculum of elementary, middle, and high schools. Candidate Ahn said, "From early stages of growth, we must cultivate a spirit of community and sociality where people care for each other and live together. It is important to properly teach that one must not harm others out of selfishness, and that serious punishment and social isolation follow crimes and bad behavior."

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