South Korea Considers Lowering Juvenile Offender Age to 13 for Serious Crimes

South Korea is moving to lower the age of criminal responsibility for certain serious offenses. The government is preparing to propose a bill that would conditionally reduce the age for juvenile offenders from the current 14 to 13, specifically for grave crimes such as murder and robbery. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family indicated that the proposal could be presented to the Cabinet as early as May 30.

This potential change follows a period of deliberation. President Lee Jae-myung had previously called for a thorough review, including gathering public opinion, before a decision was made. In response, a "Social Dialogue Committee for Juvenile Offender Age Discussion" was established in March to explore the implications of adjusting the age limit.

The committee's findings were divided. While a majority of citizen participants supported lowering the age, experts raised objections, citing the unclear deterrent effect of such a measure. Ultimately, the committee recommended maintaining the current age standard. However, the government appears poised to proceed with the conditional age reduction despite the committee's recommendation.