Mugshots of Serious Criminals to Be Released [Changes in the New Year]

Changes Starting from 2024

From next year, 'mugshots' of serious criminals will be made public. A mugshot is a photo taken by the police of a suspect's front and side views for record-keeping purposes.

On the 31st, the Ministry of Economy and Finance published a booklet titled 'Changes Starting in 2024' containing this information. From 2024, forced photographing and public disclosure of criminals' mugshots will be possible. Recent photos of suspects without hats or masks, along with their personal information, will be publicly available on the Prosecutor's Office and Police Agency websites for 30 days. The scope of crimes subject to personal information disclosure will also be expanded. Until now, disclosure was limited to specific violent crimes and sexual offenses. Starting next year, disclosure will also be possible for serious injury, special injury, sexual crimes against children and adolescents, organized crime, and drug offenses.

Attachment of Location Tracking Electronic Devices to Stalking Offenders

Location tracking devices can be attached to stalking offenders. Previously, it was not possible to detect the offender's approach to the victim in advance, but from next year, real-time monitoring will be enabled to prevent the offender's approach early. If there is a recognized risk of stalking crime recurrence, upon the prosecutor's request, the court can issue a restraining order, and as a provisional measure, a location tracking electronic device can be attached.

Age Requirement for 5th and 7th Grade Public Officials Exams Lowered from 20 to 18

From next year, the age requirement for national public official recruitment exams will be lowered. Until this year, the minimum age for 5th and 7th grade public official exams, including 8th grade and below, was 20 years old. To expand opportunities for young talent to enter public service, the age requirement will be lowered to 18 years old. However, for correctional and protection positions, the minimum age will remain 20 years old as before.

Introduction of Dangerous Dog Breeding Permit System and Temperament Evaluation System

To breed dangerous dogs, owners must meet certain requirements such as neutering, temperament evaluation, and dangerous dog insurance enrollment to obtain a permit. The temperament evaluation is a procedure that comprehensively analyzes the animal's health status and controllability to assess the animal's aggression. Dogs that are not of dangerous breeds can also be designated as dangerous dogs through temperament evaluation if they have caused harm to people. This is in response to the continuous occurrence of injury and fatal accidents caused by dogs, highlighting the need to strengthen safety management against dog bite incidents.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Increase in Military Personnel Salaries Fulfilling Military Service Obligation: From 1,000,000 KRW to 1,250,000 KRW per Month

To provide fair compensation and respect for fulfilling military service obligations, soldiers' salaries will be increased. The monthly salary for a sergeant will rise from 1,000,000 KRW to 1,250,000 KRW. Additionally, the government support for the Soldiers' Tomorrow Savings Plan, aimed at helping soldiers accumulate a lump sum after discharge, will be increased from a maximum of 300,000 KRW to 400,000 KRW per month.

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