The People Power Party is pushing to lower the age of criminal accountability for juvenile offenders from the current 14 to 12 years old for serious crimes.
Additionally, the party announced plans to impose enhanced penalties, potentially increasing current sentences for serious crimes targeting children by up to double the existing maximum.
On the 12th, News1 reported on the package of pledges prepared by the People Power Party to address serious crimes.
According to the report, the party plans to adjust the current age of criminal accountability (juvenile offenders) for what are referred to as the "five serious crimes"—including murder, robbery, rape, sexual assault, theft, and violence—from 14 years to 12 years old.
The measure appears to reflect the trend of increasing juvenile crimes exploiting legal loopholes, as juvenile offenders currently do not face criminal punishment for their offenses.
According to statistics from the National Police Agency, the number of arrested juvenile offenders in 2023 reached 19,654, marking a 19.6% increase compared to the previous year. In light of this reality, the People Power Party has expressed its intention to strengthen regulations regarding juvenile offenders through presidential pledges.
Candidate Kim Moon-soo's judicial reform pledges and stronger crime response measures
On this day, candidate Kim Moon-soo announced his ten major pledges, which included the abolition of the parliamentary immunity privilege for lawmakers, the establishment of a new crime of judicial obstruction, allowing audits of the Election Commission by the Board of Audit and Inspection, the abolition of the Corruption Investigation Agency, and the return of national intelligence agency investigative powers back to the National Intelligence Service.
In particular, for serious crimes targeting children, such as sexual offenses, he plans to impose enhanced penalties of up to double the current statutory sentence.
A People Power Party official stated, "We will raise the minimum sentences for serious crimes and reorganize the criteria for enhanced punishments for repeat offenders," emphasizing, "We will pursue a policy of zero tolerance for crimes with a high risk of recidivism, such as tampering with electronic ankle bracelets."
In addition, the People Power Party has plans to establish "smart crime prevention infrastructure" including intelligent closed-circuit TVs and artificial intelligence patrol systems, as well as a rapid freezing and refund system for victims of livelihood-infringing crimes like voice phishing to create an effective compensation system.
Image source: Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, along with Kwon Seong-dong, Hwang Woo-yeo, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Na Kyung-won, hold hands for a commemorative photo during the meeting of the Central Election Countermeasures Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 11th / News1, News1
