"Children Take Violence Lightly" ... Is the Current Age for Juvenile Delinquency Law Appropriate?

Younger Age Groups Committing Flight Offenses and Increasingly Violent Crimes
Assemblyman Jo Kyung-tae Urges Lowering Age of Criminal Responsibility for Juvenile Offenders to Under 10
Regional Education Superintendents Divided, Some Suggest Responding Based on Severity

Daejeon Jungbu Police Station announced on the morning of September 15 that they arrested 16 individuals in their teens to twenties who systematically robbed jewelry stores by exploiting their status as juvenile offenders, and detained five of them. The photo shows the precious metals seized from the suspects. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lee Gyehwa] There is a growing call to strengthen punishments and lower the age of criminal responsibility for juvenile offenders to prevent school violence.

On the 13th, at the National Assembly Education Committee’s audit held at the Daegu Office of Education, Jo Kyung-tae, a member of the People Power Party, said, "The number of school violence cases is increasing," and added, "Children are taking school violence lightly." He further argued, "Children aged 13 and 14 know that they will not be punished even if they commit crimes," and insisted, "The age of criminal responsibility for juvenile offenders should be lowered to under 10 years old."

According to the audit data submitted by Representative Jo, the number of school violence cases in Gangwon Province increased from 619 in 2013 to 2,823 in 2021. During the same period, Gyeongbuk rose from 1,009 to 2,624 cases, and Daegu increased from 1,643 to 2,308 cases.

There are also claims that the age of offenders is getting younger and the crimes are becoming more violent. Crimes committed by the youngest juvenile offenders aged 10 to 11 have increased. According to data from the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee audit, about 950 ten-year-olds and 1,200 eleven-year-olds were sent to juvenile court last year, nearly double the previous year. Theft was the most common type of crime among juvenile offenders, followed by violence, sexual violence, and arson.

Another issue is the sharp rise in drug-related crimes among teenagers. According to prosecution statistics, last year, 450 teenagers were charged with drug offenses, marking a record high.

Last year, the number of juvenile offenders sent to juvenile court exceeded 10,000, which is the basis for calls to lower the age of criminal responsibility. Children aged 10 to under 14 who commit acts punishable under criminal law are not held criminally responsible and are subject to protective measures instead.

Protective measures under the Juvenile Act include ten types of dispositions, and juveniles can be sent to a juvenile training center for up to two years. Regarding criminal punishment, juveniles under 19 years old can be sentenced to up to 20 years under the Juvenile Act. Under Korean law, offenses are not separately classified by crime but are divided into three age groups: 10, 14, and 19 years old. There is ongoing debate over whether to set the age at 12 or 13, or to apply different standards for serious crimes based on overseas cases.

Opinions also differ among regional superintendents of education. Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education, said, "The increase in reported cases is partly because some incidents that were not previously recognized as school violence are now included," and added, "We will make regulations stricter and strengthen educational activities to prevent school violence." Kang Eun-hee, Superintendent of Daegu Office of Education, stated, "We support educational reflection for minor school violence, but firm measures are necessary in cases of excessive school violence."

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