Youth Crime Becoming Increasingly Brutal
Proportion of Violent Crimes Rises from 28.9% to 33.6% Over 10 Years
Experts: "Many Countries Also Lowered Age to 12 or 13"
On the 25th, MBC reported that the suspect in a vehicle theft incident that recently occurred in a residential area of Wonju, Gangwon-do, is a juvenile offender under the age of 14. Photo by MBC
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Public outrage is growing as the suspect in a vehicle theft case that occurred in Wonju, Gangwon Province, is revealed to be a 'Chokbeopsonyeon'?a juvenile exempt from criminal responsibility due to being under the age of 14. Since offenders under the age of 14, the age of criminal responsibility, cannot be punished, concerns are rising that their delinquency and crimes are not being properly prevented. Some argue that the Chokbeopsonyeon system should be abolished or the minimum applicable age lowered.
According to a report by MBC's "News Desk" on the 25th, the suspects in the recent vehicle theft case in a residential area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, were confirmed to be four individuals, including A (14, first-year middle school student).
They drove the stolen vehicle from Wonju to Incheon and used a credit card found inside the car to spend 300,000 won. It was also confirmed that they had committed vehicle thefts in a similar manner before.
The problem lies in the fact that all four suspects, including A, are Chokbeopsonyeon under the age of 14, the age of criminal responsibility. They cannot be criminally punished even if they commit crimes.
According to "News Desk," A and the others had previously been caught by the police on suspicion of vehicle theft, but the police had to release them because they were Chokbeopsonyeon, and it was revealed that A and the others continued committing vehicle thefts afterward.
The proportion of violent crimes among juvenile crimes committed by teenagers rose to 33.6% as of 2019. / Photo by Yonhap News
The issue of crimes and delinquency among Chokbeopsonyeon juvenile offenders is not new.
On March 29 last year, B (13) and seven others stole a rental car parked in Seoul and drove it without a license all the way to Daejeon. Near an intersection, they crossed the center line and collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the death of the motorcycle rider at the scene.
Last month, a video circulated on online communities showing middle school students strangling an elderly person's neck and verbally abusing them inside the Uijeongbu light rail in Gyeonggi Province, sparking controversy. The police decided to apply elder abuse charges to these middle school students, but since all perpetrators are Chokbeopsonyeon, they were not formally charged and are likely to receive protective measures from the juvenile court.
Meanwhile, actual teenage crimes are reportedly becoming increasingly brutal. According to crime analysis statistics from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 14th, the proportion of violent crimes among juvenile crimes rose from 28.9% in 2009 to 33.6% in 2019. In particular, sexual violence crimes committed by minors more than doubled, increasing from 1,574 cases in 2009 to 3,180 cases in 2019.
Given this situation, citizens have expressed outrage, arguing that even Chokbeopsonyeon should be punished according to the severity of their crimes.
C, a worker in their 20s, said, "Kids these days are cunning. They know they won't be punished no matter how many crimes they commit, so naturally, they repeat the same acts multiple times. Even if they are kids, there are actual victims, so why aren't they punished?"
Another worker, D (31), said, "There's a saying that a needle thief becomes a cow thief. Even if the initial delinquency is minor, if it continues, it could lead to serious crimes later. I think strict measures are necessary not just for protective disposition but also for the correction of juvenile offenders."
Experts have suggested adjusting the age for Chokbeopsonyeon considering social circumstances.
Attorney Oh Si-young stated on BBS Radio's "Park Kyung-soo's Morning Journal," "In Korea, Chokbeopsonyeon, meaning those who violate the law but are exempt from criminal punishment, are subject to the Juvenile Act rather than the Criminal Act. The problem is that children of that age all know they are exempt from criminal punishment."
He continued, "Tracing back the origin of the Criminal Act, it was established during the Japanese colonial period, and the age for Chokbeopsonyeon was set then. In fact, many foreign legislations have lowered the age to 12 or 13. The National Assembly should seriously consider this issue and lower the age for Chokbeopsonyeon."
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