Juvenile Justice (2022)

January 8, 2023

Our Take: A dark take on juvenile delinquency and its rippling effects on society.

The Premise

Juvenile Justice is a legal thriller that centers around elite judge Shim Eun Seok (Kim Hye Soo), who has been recently appointed to Yeonhwa District Court's Juvenile Criminal Settlement Division. Due to personal trauma, Shim Eun Seok tries to navigate her animosity towards young offenders while sticking to her firm stance on justice.

By her side is Cha Tae Joo (Kim Mu Yeol), a compassionate associate judge who believes in nurturing and reforming juvenile offenders. Together, they balance and complement each other's viewpoints on justice and navigate a complex juvenile legal system. With each case they tackle, the show dives deeper into juvenile delinquents' psychological and social circumstances and their impacts on those involved.

Exploration of Juvenile Delinquency

When we think of violent offenders, criminals, or murderers, the first things that may come to mind are psychopaths, monsters, and maniacs. But what happens if the person committing a crime is a minor?

Juvenile Justice attempts to explore this gray area, including the circumstances surrounding young offenders, how the juvenile system handles them, and the lasting effects their crimes have on the victims, their families, and the delinquents themselves. As much as we'd like to view children in a positive light, like adults, children are equally capable of committing unspeakable, atrocious crimes.

To fully understand the backdrop of Juvenile Justice, it's essential to understand how the South Korean juvenile system currently works. Under juvenile courts, there are no prosecutors. Instead, much of the onus of the investigation falls on the shoulders of the judges themselves, who must question the accused and initiate an investigation if they can't come to a proper judgment. With this system, the main goal is to help reform misguided youths rather than punish them.

With this in mind, the show asks us how we would react when faced with these uncomfortable situations. Should young offenders get let off when they commit crimes simply because they are underage? By focusing on reform programs, is that enough to help these young offenders start over and learn from their mistakes? Or should the accused get dealt punishments proportional to their crimes, just like their adult counterparts?

Facing the Consequences of Your Actions

Judge Shim Eun Seok's hard stance on child offenders reminds us that our actions have consequences regardless of age. Particularly in countries where society plays a major role in shaping one's upbringing, it's essential to discipline children when they make mistakes. If we choose to cover up for them and turn a blind eye, we enable them to get away with criminal activities and potentially commit worse crimes down the line because they think they can get away with it.

At the same time, associate judge Cha Tae Joo reminds us to have compassion and empathy under these circumstances. Most people deserve second chances to learn from their mistakes. It doesn't mean we should always be lenient and let young offenders get away with everything, but it's about finding a balance between rehabilitation and punishment.

A Desensitized Society

In a world where many of us have become desensitized to the pain and injustice people face, the show skillfully brings our raw emotions and sense of justice to the forefront. With each case, we face heartbreak and evil. We navigate the complexities of the different issues, including determining the verdict based on the perpetrators' ability to repent and the weight of their crimes. We see the devastating and sickening impact juvenile delinquency has on everyone involved.

Yet, we also see glimmers of hope as judges, counselors, social workers, and police officers do their best to work with the children to understand what led them to commit such atrocities and how we, as a society, can help them get back on track. Are there specific factors that cause a child to become so disconnected from their community that they commit such heinous crimes? Who is at fault when a child displays acts of cruelty? What is the right solution to ensure that they are appropriately punished but also allow them to understand the pain and suffering their actions have caused other people?

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child

As Judge Shim says in the show, it takes a village to raise a child. Juvenile delinquency is a social problem that requires everyone's attention, not just the law. Things will never change if we do not address the core issues behind why there are so many young offenders.

In many cases, these children come from broken homes and poor families. They tend to get bullied at school and may have untreated mental disorders. Without proper rehabilitation programs, parental guidance, and mental health support, punishment alone isn't enough to help these children overcome their traumas and learn to be better people.

The key is not to tell them what to do and what not to do. Instead, we need to educate and empower them to make their own decisions and do what is right. In particular, we need to have more compassion and provide a stable and loving environment for them. If we remain apathetic to societal problems, we won't be able to fix the broken justice system or lower youth crime rates.

The World is Cruel But...

Many of the cases in the show draw parallels to several high-profile cases that occurred in South Korea in the past few years. Among them include the kidnapping and murder of an 8-year-old girl in Incheon in 2017, a cheating scandal at Sookmyung Girls' High School in 2018, and the Daejeon middle school rental car death in 2020, among others. Just like in real life, not all the victims were saved. Not all the perpetrators were captured and justly punished.

Still, at the end of the day, young people are the future. When they commit crimes, they display the world's cruelty and the failure of adults to protect and nurture them in full effect. Their crimes reflect our collective failures as teachers, parents, friends, and themselves. If we want to correct their faults and ours, we need to teach them how to cope with loss in a non-destructive manner. We need to guide them after they make mistakes to shape them into good people.

Final Thoughts

Juvenile Justice tackles dark themes and violent crimes in a gritty manner. While it is a tough watch at times, the show makes you feel and think about critical social issues profoundly, shining a light on the realities of young offenders and their impact on society. If you can look past the grisly nature of the cases, I recommend giving Juvenile Justice a chance.