President Lee Jaemyung Chairs Cabinet Meeting on the 24th
Also Instructs Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to "Facilitate Public Debate"
President Lee Jaemyung is speaking at a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 24th. Yonhap News
On the 24th, President Lee Jaemyung said regarding the age threshold for juvenile protection status, "It seems that an overwhelming majority of the public believes that we should at least lower it by one year." He then instructed the relevant ministries to collect public opinion over the next two months.
President Lee made these remarks at a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House on this day, after receiving a report from Vice Minister of Justice Lee Jinsu titled "Discussion on Lowering the Age Threshold for Juvenile Protection Status."
Vice Minister Lee said, "We have established comprehensive countermeasures against juvenile crime and implemented numerous measures for prevention and recidivism reduction, but criminal offenses committed by minors are still increasing," and proposed, "We need to begin a full-fledged discussion on lowering the age that defines a minor in criminal law." The current age threshold for juvenile protection status is 14, and there is an opinion that it should be lowered to 13.
In response, President Lee said, "If we lower it by one year, first-year middle school students will also become subject to criminal punishment," adding that the threshold for juvenile protection status "seems to be a matter of making a decision." He then threw his weight behind lowering the age, saying, "It would probably be most reasonable to distinguish juvenile protection status based on whether they are in elementary school or middle school."
By contrast, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Minkyoung said, "There is a saying that when it comes to juvenile cases, a child's failure is society's failure," and argued, "When deciding whether to lower the age threshold for juvenile protection status, we must examine whether we have presented juveniles with a vision of a safe society." She also criticized the Ministry of Justice's juvenile crime prevention measures, saying, "There was only one such project, and even that was carried out solely as a one-year project in 2022."
Other Cabinet members also offered a range of opinions. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yooncheol said, "We need to look, based on statistics, at what kinds of crimes are being committed by those aged 14 and under." Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun said, "Among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), there is a trend of gradually lowering the age," but added, "Even when they do lower it, what stands out is that they do not try to deal with it solely through sentencing, but combine guidance, protection, and welfare."
President Lee said, "Over the next two months, let us work with the relevant ministries to sort out the points of contention, gather public opinion, and then reach a conclusion," and instructed, "Have the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family take the lead in facilitating a public debate." He stressed, "Based on the results of deliberation and public opinion, we will engage in a scientific debate and make a decision in two months."
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