Actor Cho Jin-woong’s past sparks political clash as top court data reveals sharp rise in juvenile rulings
Published: 10 Dec. 2025, 13:18
![Actor Cho Jin-woong speaks at a press conference for a documentary film in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 15. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/10/4793646b-1315-4e30-a168-f141067b1251.jpg)
Actor Cho Jin-woong speaks at a press conference for a documentary film in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 15. [NEWS1]
A political storm over actor Cho Jin-woong’s history of juvenile delinquency has reopened Korea’s fraught conversation about the treatment of young offenders, as data reveals a sharp rise in juvenile court rulings despite a decline in overall youth crime.
While some politicians argue that Korea must crack down more forcefully on young offenders, experts say the country should instead strengthen systems that prevent crime and help minors reform.
Courts issued decisions in 51,020 juvenile delinquency cases last year, the first time the total has exceeded 50,000 and a 46.2 percent increase from 2019, according to the Supreme Court’s judicial yearbook.
Theft remained the most common offense, rising to 17,843 cases over the same period, while assault cases increased 86.6 percent to 3,770 and sex offenses rose 71.4 percent to 2,419.
Under Korean law, offenders under 19 may face criminal penalties through regular trials or enter the "juvenile protection system," which can impose community service, probation or placement in a youth facility.
The surge in court rulings offers a complicated picture because it coincides with a decrease in the number of minors entering the justice system. Prosecutors booked 62,991 minors last year, down more than 16 percent from five years earlier.
Experts say that the apparent contradiction reflects changes in how authorities handle cases rather than a sudden rise in youth crime. More cases that once ended informally now move through the courts, in part because investigators have adopted a stricter posture and because judges increasingly issue protective orders for vulnerable minors.
“Some attribute this to a tougher stance by investigators, but courts often issue protective orders for minors who have nowhere to go," said Park Sun-young, a professor of police administration at Hansei University.
She noted that family circumstances weigh heavily in these decisions, and that judges place particular emphasis on the level of parental supervision.
“Parents often fail to appear in court, which signals weak supervision at home. Judges sometimes place minors in facilities simply because they lack a safe environment,” she said.
![A volunteer, left, teaches adolescents placed at a youth recovery center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang. The center provides care and support for teenagers entrusted to it under the Juvenile Act, helping them adjust to society. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/10/6ccb97e0-f8b3-4181-94c8-5745e086c8c6.jpg)
A volunteer, left, teaches adolescents placed at a youth recovery center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang. The center provides care and support for teenagers entrusted to it under the Juvenile Act, helping them adjust to society. [JOONGANG ILBO]
The renewed scrutiny of Cho’s past has helped push the issue into the political arena.
Na Kyung-won, a lawmaker with the conservative People Power Party who sits on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, announced on Sunday that she would propose legislation requiring disclosure of serious juvenile offenses committed by high-ranking officials. Current law strictly limits access to juvenile case records, permitting disclosure only for trials, investigations or military purposes.
Lawmakers have made similar moves before. Last fall, when deepfake sexual exploitation involving teenagers drew broad public alarm, members of both major parties introduced bills to strengthen penalties. Reps. Kim Yong-min of the liberal Democratic Party and Han Zee-a of the PPP proposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility, now set at 14.
But researchers warn that proposals emphasizing punishment risk undermining the purpose of the country’s juvenile justice system.
"Media coverage often highlights and repeats extreme cases of juvenile crime, which draws attention toward punishment rather than prevention and reducing recidivism," said Kim Dae-keun, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice.
Legal scholars note that the Juvenile Act was designed to account for the developmental differences between minors and adults.
“The Juvenile Act exists because minors are still developing and learning how to navigate society," said Chang Jin-hwan, an adjunct professor of law at Dankook University. "Even for public figures, disclosing mistakes committed as minors requires great caution.”
Others argue that policy should focus on rehabilitation rather than public shaming.
“The most important task is to build systems that can rehabilitate minors and help them grow into responsible members of society,” said Kwack Dae-gyung, a professor at Dongguk University’s College of Police and Criminal Justice.
“Instead of imposing harsher penalties and branding young offenders, we need to think more about how to prevent crime and support their reform," he added.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY OH SAM-GWON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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