Recently, the latest K-series on Netflix, Juvenile Justice, has been climbing fast on global charts as it has already been ranked number one according to Flixpatrol. Juvenile Justice depicts the story of juvenile crimes and Judge Shim Eun-suk, who hates juvenile criminals, appointed to the juvenile department of the district court. The series, which is inspired by real-life events, gained a lot of attention in Korea initially due to it being a very relatable and angering topic among the Korean society. as there have been many shocking controversies related to juvenile crimes. Juvenile offenders are broadly classified into three categories.
Children under the age of 10 cannot be punished even if they commit a crime. 10 to 14 juveniles are not subject to criminal punishment but only to protective measures such as juvenile detention or probation. 14 to 19 year old juveniles are subject to both protective and criminal dispositions but even if they commit a violent crime under special circumstances.
they cannot be sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Thus, the juvenile law is creating a lot of debate within the Korean society. So, let's hear what Korean citizens have to say about it.
Isn't this too much of a criminal law? The age itself is too much. I heard a lot of people say that it's low and that it's committing a crime or that it's completely eliminating the law.
When committing a crime to protect young people in Korea, rather than making the same decision as ordinary adults, I think they are punishing them for their own misconduct. When I was young, I saw the same school students doing bad things and going to the boys'school. I saw it.
Then, the law applies. In Daegu, the students at the store... Among many, probably the most infuriating case among juvenile crimes would be the Incheon Elementary School student murder. It is a brutal case in which the offender, who was 16 at the time, kidnapped and murdered a second grade elementary school girl with an 18-year-old accomplice with methods that are too cruel to be described.
The offenders were sentenced to only 20 years and 13 years of prison, respectively, because of the juvenile criminal law. A very recent case was in Ulsan where a 13-year-old robbed the store and jewelry more than 20 times but when got caught, fought the police and made fun of the situation by continuously claiming himself as a juvenile criminal. It's really sad and absurd for young people to do that. I think we should change the law or lower the age. In a way, they are people who can take our country's future longer than the adult law.
I think the boys know that well. The reality that I'm only punished for two years is so cold and bitter. These days, media and things like that... The number of juvenile crimes have steadily increased over the years, according to the monthly.
I don't think we can ignore the possibility of being punished. I don't think it's right to punish people who are young or who don't know anything about their personality or attitude. I think it's right to increase the number of punishments. I carefully throw my opinion. I thought it was bad to abuse it, but I think that the law can't be removed.
Even if I send them to jail, they will be released someday. If children who grew up in jail are released later, it will be a bigger social problem. I think it's a better solution to ask parents for more responsibility. With the drama as a catalyst, voices calling for lowering the age of the poor.
14-year-old law are rising again. The main reason is that the current standards for juveniles by law established in 1953 do not match current societal reality. On the other hand, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recommended in 2019 to keep the age of 14, advising to be careful about such measures. Many other experts say that punishment is not the answer.
Experts argue that it is necessary to prepare a system for the actual recovery of the victims, and the sincere reflection on the perpetrators.