Consensus Grows to Maintain Current Age Limit for Juvenile Offenders

A recommendation to maintain the current age limit of 14 for 'juvenile offenders,' who are not subject to criminal punishment even if they commit crimes, has been finalized. This conclusion comes after social discussions on whether to lower the age limit for juvenile offenders.

During the discussion process, a citizen participation deliberation found that more participants favored lowering the age limit. However, the final recommendation includes provisions emphasizing the need for continued efforts to improve the system to prevent its abuse.

In her opening remarks at the meeting, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyoung stated that opinions from the field emphasized that 'this discussion should not simply end with age adjustment but should prioritize policy improvements such as expanding the juvenile justice system and strengthening victim protection.'

The committee held a total of four plenary meetings, 12 subcommittee meetings, and two advisory meetings, and conducted two public forums in conjunction with the Korea Youth Policy Institute. The adopted recommendation is scheduled to be reported to the Cabinet meeting in mid-May.