Although the Total Number of Juvenile Offenders Has Decreased... 1 in 3 Is a 'Repeat Offender'

'Repeat Offender Youth' Rate Maintains at 30% Annually
Youth with 6+ Crimes Also at 20% Range
Assemblyman Kim Hoe-jae: "Recidivism Must Be Reduced Through Correctional Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention Programs"

The number of juvenile offenders has been decreasing slightly each year, but the recidivism rate remains at 30%. It was also confirmed that the recidivism rate for those who reoffend six times or more is in the 20% range.

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] Although the number of 'juvenile offenders' has slightly decreased over the past five years, it was found that one in three are repeat offenders. In particular, the recidivism rate of six or more offenses accounted for the second highest proportion after one-time reoffenses and has been increasing every year. Juvenile offenders refer to offenders aged 14 or older but under 19, who are subject to criminal punishment, unlike minors exempt from criminal liability.

According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Kim Hoe-jae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, the number of juvenile offenders was 72,752 in 2017, then slightly decreased each year to 66,259 in 2018, 66,204 in 2019, 64,584 in 2020, and 54,074 in 2021.

However, the recidivism rate among juvenile offenders remained in the 30% range every year. In 2017, repeat offenders accounted for 23,989 out of all juvenile offenders, or 32.9%. Subsequently, it was 33.6% (22,324) in 2018, 32.3% (21,433) in 2019, 32.9% (21,279) in 2020, and 30.2% (16,350) in 2021.

Many cases involved more than just reoffending. Among juvenile repeat offenders from 2017 to 2021, about 50% committed crimes three or more times annually. The proportion of juveniles who committed crimes six or more times was 24.2% (5,803) in 2017, 25.7% (5,736) in 2018, 28.3% (6,073) in 2019, 28.4% (6,049) in 2020, and 29.6% (4,837) in 2021. This means that one in four juvenile offenders committed crimes six or more times each year.

Assemblyman Kim Hoe-jae said, "The risk of recidivism among juvenile offenders is high," adding, "While strengthening punishment should be considered for juveniles who reoffend with violent crimes, for other juveniles, correctional education and crime prevention programs must be thoroughly implemented to reduce the recidivism rate."

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