Law-breaching juvenile who stole and rode a motorcycle without a license commits theft again after release

[Financial News] In Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, middle school students who were caught repeatedly stealing and riding motorcycles were sent home due to their age, only to commit further thefts afterward.
According to KBS on the 25th, 13- and 14-year-old middle school students recently stole a series of parked motorcycles and rode off with them in the Yangju area.
They specifically targeted motorcycles left in parking lots. Delivery motorcycles with keys left in the ignition or stored under the seat were their main targets.
They were soon caught by police for driving without a license, but reportedly showed no sign of remorse.
Because they were classified as law-breaching juveniles—minors under 14 who are exempt from criminal liability—they were sent home instead of being detained. However, over the following three days, they stole and rode two more motorcycles before being arrested again.
Police arrested five suspects in total and sought arrest warrants for two of them who were not law-breaching juveniles. The court rejected the request, citing the need to minimize custodial measures for juvenile offenders.
Police are continuing their investigation of the two law-breaching juveniles only as witnesses.
Under the Criminal Act of the Republic of Korea, minors under the age of 14 are classified as law-breaching juveniles. Even if they commit crimes, they are not held criminally liable and instead receive protective measures under the Juvenile Act.
However, critics argue that the age threshold for law-breaching juveniles should be lowered by one year, to under 13, pointing to changes in minors’ psychological maturity and capacity for responsibility since the Criminal Act of 1953, as well as the rise in juvenile crime and the increasing severity of offenses.
In response, the Government of South Korea is currently holding public discussions on whether to lower the age standard for law-breaching juveniles and plans to reach a conclusion on the issue next month.
newssu@fnnews.com Kim Soo-yeon Reporter