'I'll come after your parents too': Juvenile under criminal age threatens police on camera as rights body blocks age limit change

A middle school student who qualifies as a juvenile under criminal age drew public outrage after hurling threats and profanity at police officers while being arrested. Calls to abolish or lower the age threshold for criminal responsibility are growing louder, but they are running into opposition from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

On Aug. 8, a video titled "Today's teens — when an arrest becomes social media content" was posted on YouTube.

The footage was filmed by the student on a mobile phone from the back seat of a police car, with the student's hands in handcuffs.

In the video, when an officer asked the student's age, the student replied with profanity: "Born in 2012." When the officer followed up by asking how old that made him, the student shot back, "Eighth grade — figure it out."

A person born in 2012 who has not yet had their birthday this year falls under the current legal definition of a juvenile under criminal age — those between 10 and under 14 who cannot be held criminally liable under existing law.

The student then unleashed a torrent of threats and expletives at the officer: "You touched me? I didn't touch you — I only used words. I'll mess you up one way or another. Answer me." When the officer told the student to be quiet, the student continued: "Want me to come after your parents too?"

The student also thrust a phone toward the officer's face, saying, "Show me your face — I want to film you and post it too," attempting to record the officer.

As of Monday, the video had been viewed more than 5.05 million times and had drawn more than 17,000 comments.

Crimes committed by juveniles under criminal age have jumped sharply. According to prosecutors, the number of such juveniles referred to juvenile court jumped 2.5-fold — from 8,615 in 2019 to 21,095 in 2025.

The rise in serious and violent offenses is equally striking. The number of juveniles under criminal age referred for violent crimes climbed from 2,148 in 2019 to 5,520 in 2025, while those referred for rape and sexual assault nearly tripled, from 357 to 883 over the same period.

The trend toward younger offenders is also clear. Referrals involving 10-year-olds rose from 472 in 2019 to 2,060 in 2025; those involving 11-year-olds grew from 726 to 2,892; and cases involving 13-year-olds surged from 5,670 to 10,485.

In a recent breakdown of 3,411 cyber sexual violence cases, deepfake crimes accounted for 1,553 — and teenagers made up 61.8 percent of the perpetrators.

The public strongly favors lowering the age threshold. A Gallup Korea survey conducted in March of 1,002 people aged 18 and older nationwide found that 81 percent supported reducing the age limit for juveniles under criminal age.

Teachers share that view. In an online survey of 8,900 educators nationwide by the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, 96.4 percent of respondents supported lowering the age limit.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea. [Herald Business DB]

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has pushed back against lowering the age threshold. In March, the commission issued a statement under the name of its chairperson, Ahn Chang-ho, saying that "introducing a policy to lower the age limit for juveniles under criminal age requires extreme caution."

The commission said it had "expressed on multiple occasions that lowering the age limit for juveniles under criminal age is not desirable," adding: "We must reflect carefully on whether we are stripping children of the opportunity to change and grow. We again emphasize that children are not merely subjects of punishment, but individuals with the right to be protected and to develop."

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