Argument Essay Daehwan Kim 201421621

Issues in punishment of juvenile delinquency

South Korean police announced that they have identified a 9-year-old boy as a
suspect in the death of a middle-aged woman nicknamed Cat Mom hit by a falling brick.
The 9-year-old suspect, however, isnt going to be convicted. Korean Juvenile law stipulates
that minors under 14 have no criminal responsibility. (2015 Ock Hyun-ju) To strengthen
punishment of juvenile lawbreakers became the most important issue after the incident.
Supporters of punishing youthful offender claim that Korean government need to toughen the
penalty of juvenile law breakers. Also, some people argue that we should lower the juvenile
age of the criminal responsibility. (2012 Chung Jae-Joon) They say that criminals who are
under 14 should have criminal responsibility. Korean juvenile law Nevertheless, the penalty
of juvenile delinquency should not be strengthened.

First, we need to think about the purposes of Juvenile law. Juveniles are mentally and
physically immature. Juvenile delinquency is different from adult crime in that the offenders
are not deemed to be fully conscious moral individuals. They dont have adequate judgment
about what they did. Even though juvenile offenders committed crime, they need to be
protected by government. This is because they have the possibility to be reformed.

One of

the purposes of Juvenile law is to prevent juvenile lawbreakers from labeling effect. For
example, after they go out of prison, they need to adjust the society. However when they get a
job, it is difficult to get a job because they were one-time offenders. And people also dont
want to be their friends because of their criminal records. Then they can get angry at society.
They dont have jobs and friends, people around them. They have no other choice but to
commit crimes again. Unless, there exists the juvenile law, it can cause other criminal
offences. Ultimately, Juvenile law exist for the another crime prevention.

Argument Essay Daehwan Kim 201421621

Second, Korean government should give an education to reform juvenile lawbreakers

and provide improvement of their living environment rather than strengthening punishment
of juvenile delinquency. The number of runaway teenagers is increasing these days in Korea.
They are likely to get involved in a crime to make money. (2010 Kim Jeong-Gyu) The
ministry needs to provide teenage dropouts with counseling, support programs for future
employment or help prepare them to return to school. The number of youth shelters for
juvenile law breakers in Korea is just thirteen. (2015 Chun jong-ho) We should consider that
the problem of delinquency is related to the home environment. 70 percent of Juvenile law
breakers in a Kimcheon reform school which is one of Korean reform schools come from a
broken home or poor family. (2013. Chun jong-ho) There is a growing second conviction rate
for juvenile offenders. Also, victim protection schemes need to be put in place. Korean
government should provide mental healing to Victims and demand adequate compensation
for victims.

The opponents of the juvenile law might say that we need to toughen the punishment
in order to diminish juvenile crimes. Juvenile delinquency is on the rise. The cause of it is
juvenile law because it overprotects youthful offenders. However, if Korean government
toughens penalties for Juvenile lawbreakers, it cannot help prevent juvenile offenders from
committing crimes again. This is because when they are in a reform school, they have the
possibilities to learn tips crime from other inmates. (2012 Mun Hee-Jeong) Peer pressure is
strong among young people. Therefore, to strengthen the penalty is not effective in
preventing juvenile crimes.

Argument Essay Daehwan Kim 201421621

In conclusion, there are many reasons why the Korean government should maintain
status quo of Juvenile law. Youth offenders are immature to judge the situation what they did.
We ought to focus on reforming juvenile offenders and educate them. That is crucial to
prevent reoffending. Still, many people think that juvenile offenders should be punished more
severely. However, they should be given another chance to reform. Also, Korean government
needs to provide shelters for juvenile law breakers and adequate compensation for victims.

Works Cited

Ock Hyun-ju, 9-year-old suspect in Cat Mom killing. The Korea Herald, 16,
October. 2015. Web <http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20151016000875>

Chun jong-ho. Happy Domestic Relations Make Children Happy. November

2013.

The Korean Home Management Association.

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Chung Jae-Joon. Lowering the Juvenile Age Requirment of the Criminal

Responsibility. 2012. (Korean Criminal Law Society.)

Kim Jeong-Gyu. Adolescents Delinquency and the Differential Effects of Punishment.

2010. Korean journal of youth studies.

Mun Hee-Jeong. A Study on the Experiences of Juvenile Delinquents Regarding the

Implementation of Counseling Attendance Orders. May.2012. Korea Istitute for
Youth Development.

Chun jong-ho. We Should Legalize Youth Shelters for Juvenile Criminals to Prevent
them from second conviction. 2015. The National Assembly of South Korea.