[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-gi] The so-called 'Minsik Law,' which strengthens penalties for children's traffic accidents, has faced demands for revision from the early stages of its implementation. The 'Minsik Law,' passed by the National Assembly last year thanks to a Blue House public petition, is once again facing a wave of opposition through public petitions.
According to the Blue House public petition on the 27th, a post titled "We petition to revise the Minsik Law" was uploaded on the 23rd. Currently, this petition has received support from more than 1.6 million people.
The Minsik Law consists of the amended 'Road Traffic Act,' which mandates the installation of speed cameras, speed bumps, and traffic lights in school zones, and the 'Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (Special Act),' which strengthens penalties for children's traffic accidents. If a child under 13 years old dies in a school zone due to exceeding the regulated speed of 30 km/h or neglecting the duty of safe driving, the offender can be sentenced to life imprisonment or imprisonment for three years or more. For injuries, the punishment has been strengthened to imprisonment for one year to 15 years or a fine ranging from 5 million to 30 million won.
The recent public petition argues that the amended Special Act violates the principle of proportionality in punishment. It points out that in cases of fatal accidents in school zones, offenders receive the same sentences as those who cause death by drunk driving, equating the punishment for serious intentional crimes like drunk driving with that for negligent crimes.
The poster stated, "It is unrealistic and unfair to require drivers to always prevent and be cautious of children's sudden actions," and added, "Even if driving below the speed limit of 30 km/h in a school zone, if an accident occurs, the driver is held fully responsible." They further described the Minsik Law as "a flawed law born from legislative overreach and public pressure, turning all drivers into potential offenders."
The Minsik Law was named after Kim Minsik, who died in a traffic accident in a school zone near an elementary school in Asan City, Chungnam Province, last September. In November of last year, Kim Minsik's father posted on the Blue House public petition board, which received over 200,000 signatures and prompted a response from the Blue House, leading to the legislation. At that time, President Moon Jae-in mentioned the necessity of handling the Minsik Law during the 2019 Dialogue with the People. As a result, the amended bill passed the National Assembly last December and has been in effect since the 25th of this month.
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