"What Is He Doing Behind the Girl?" Three Subway Photos Ignite Japan's Juvenile Offender Debate

A Series of Youth Crimes Leads to Growing Demand for System Reform

Calls to Lower the Age Threshold for Juvenile Offenders Grow in Japan

Youth Crime Expands to Include Serious Offenses

Controversy over the juvenile criminal responsibility system is growing after a photo, believed to show an elementary school-aged boy illegally filming, was shared on social media in Japan. With a rise in youth crime in Korea as well, and discussions underway about lowering the age threshold for juvenile offenders, related debates are spreading in both countries.

On March 16, Yonhap News TV reported that three photos, apparently taken inside a subway under the caption “elementary school student secretly filming” in Japan, have sparked controversy after being posted online recently.

In particular, the photos depict a boy in a school uniform placing his mobile phone between the skirt of a female student standing in front of him, then returning it to his pocket, with one image capturing the flash of the phone’s camera going off during the act. The post quickly went viral, surpassing 10 million views in just one day, and drew widespread criticism and concern online.

The debate over the juvenile criminal responsibility system intensified after users pointed out that the bag carried by the boy was specific to a certain elementary school, raising questions about the suspected offender’s age and the possibility of punishment. In Japan, as in Korea, individuals under the age of 14 are classified as juvenile offenders and are not subject to criminal punishment. As a result, those who commit crimes receive protective measures or reformatory actions instead of criminal penalties.

Recently, public criticism of Japan’s juvenile system has intensified after a middle school student assaulted an elementary student and pushed them into the sea, yet was not criminally prosecuted. Japanese netizens have increasingly called for reform, saying, “Rehabilitation is needed, even if by force,” and, “Clearer standards for punishment are necessary.”

Rising Youth Crime... Consideration of Lowering Juvenile Offender Age to Under 13

Discussions on restructuring the juvenile criminal responsibility system are gaining momentum not only in Japan but also in Korea. The Korean government is seriously considering lowering the current threshold for juvenile offenders from under 14 to under 13 years of age. This debate began after a directive to review the juvenile system was issued at a recent cabinet meeting. The juvenile criminal responsibility system, in place for over 70 years since the enactment of the Criminal Act in 1953, currently stipulates that youths aged 10 and older but under 14 who commit crimes are subject to protection measures by family courts rather than criminal punishment.

According to statistics from the National Police Agency, the number of juvenile offenders aged 10 to 13 apprehended exceeded 20,000 for the first time in 2024, reaching 20,814 cases. In particular, sex crimes such as rape and molestation more than doubled, increasing from 398 cases in 2021 to 883 cases in 2024. The Asia Business Daily

However, calls for reform are growing as youth crime continues to increase. According to statistics from the National Police Agency, the number of juvenile offenders aged 10 to 13 apprehended exceeded 20,000 for the first time in 2024, reaching 20,814 cases. In particular, sex crimes such as rape and molestation more than doubled, increasing from 398 cases in 2021 to 883 cases in 2024. As youth crime escalates from simple violence and theft to serious offenses such as murder, robbery, and sex crimes, demands for stricter punishment are rising.

However, human rights organizations argue that lowering the age of juvenile criminal responsibility has not been proven to have a direct effect on crime prevention and call for a cautious approach. They hold that policies focusing on education and rehabilitation should take precedence over stricter punishment. Meanwhile, the age of criminal responsibility varies by country. In the UK, children as young as 10 can be held criminally responsible, while in the US, the federal standard is 11, but it varies by state. Japan, like Korea, currently classifies those under 14 as juvenile offenders.

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