Ministry to build 'K-Juvenile Crime Prevention' reoffending process

Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho vows 'professional framework'

The Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. [Ministry of Justice]
The Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. [Ministry of Justice]

By Choi Eui-jong, The Herald Business

With juvenile reoffending rates running at roughly three times the adult level, the Ministry of Justice has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to break the cycle. The plan calls for managing at-risk youth — including those with mental illness or domestic violence backgrounds — from the earliest stages of delinquency, and for cutting off reoffending through a dedicated system separate from the adult probation framework.

The ministry announced the strategy Tuesday afternoon at the Juvenile Justice Integration Center (tentative name) in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, alongside a reorganization of its juvenile delinquency prevention unit. The initiative, formally titled the "Strategy to Reduce Reoffending Rates Among Juveniles Under Criminal Age and Other Juvenile Offenders," aims to respond systematically to the recent surge in crimes by juveniles under criminal age and to block reoffending from the earliest stage of delinquency.

According to the ministry, the number of juveniles under criminal age placed on probation has grown 2.2 times over the past five years, driven by a rise in such cases. The reoffending rate among juvenile probationers stands at 12 to 13 percent — about three times the adult rate, the ministry said. Juveniles under criminal age are minors aged 10 to 13 who have committed acts that would otherwise be punishable offenses but are exempt from criminal prosecution under the Criminal Act. Instead, they go through juvenile protection proceedings under the Juvenile Act, where a court may order community service or probation.

A ministry analysis found that a significant share of juveniles under criminal age on probation had experience with smoking (48.3 percent) or alcohol (53.4 percent), or were at high risk of dropping out of school. Environmental risk factors — including mental illness (29.9 percent), domestic violence exposure (12.7 percent), running away from home (34.4 percent) and a history of perpetrating school violence (64.6 percent) — were in some cases higher than those recorded for criminal-age juvenile offenders between 14 and 18.

In response, the ministry said it would restructure its dedicated juvenile crime unit to address the root causes of juvenile offending. The current Juvenile Crime Prevention Team, a temporary body within the ministry, has been seen as too limited to handle the breadth of policy required. The ministry plans to establish a new juvenile policy decision-making body and elevate the operational division to full headquarters status.

The ministry also said it would improve frontline treatment for juveniles. The aim is to eliminate side effects — such as juveniles learning criminal behavior from adults — that have arisen under the existing adult-centered probation system.

Pilot Juvenile Justice Integration Centers currently operating in Seoul, Gwangju and Ansan separate juveniles from adults and provide treatment tailored to juveniles' needs through multi-agency community partnerships. Based on the pilot results, the ministry plans to expand the centers nationwide starting next year.

The ministry said juvenile delinquency among those under criminal age stems from a complex interplay of personal factors such as mental illness and social and environmental factors including family environment and delinquent peer relationships. It said it would build a reoffending prevention process — dubbed "K-Juvenile Crime Prevention" — consisting of five sequential stages: diagnosis, prescription, intervention, rehabilitation and aftercare. The ministry added it would closely manage chronic juvenile offenders through a community-based multi-agency hub.

Taking into account that delinquency tends to occur mainly at night, the ministry plans to develop a smartwatch-style monitoring device to enforce nighttime curfews for juveniles and prevent delinquent behavior. Over the longer term, it also plans to develop a "Comprehensive Juvenile Crime Analysis System" that uses AI-based data analysis to assess individual risk levels and recommend intervention measures.

Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said the infrastructure for advancing juvenile crime policy had lagged behind the level of attention the issue deserved. "We will establish a professional framework capable of properly preventing juvenile crime and pursue the K-Juvenile Crime Prevention policy to address the complex factors driving juvenile delinquency," he said.


bell@heraldcorp.com