Social - A Slap on the Wrist 수정1

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〔Social〕

A Slap on the Wrist for Serious Crimes

 by Jeon Seung-jeong, Social Reporter, tmdwjd4984@mju.ac.kr

Here is a one of the most famous news keywords of South Korea, ‘A Slap on the Wrist’ which is not disappearing in the past few decades. South Korea society`s laws are very ironic because they are more lenient to the criminals and cruel to the victims.

Even if you kill person by driving drunk, or peeping someone by hidden cameras or bullying your friends, each of the situations might have extenuating circumstances. And the judge will presentyou another 'shot' to commit another “crime”. Korean nations have been pushing for stricter punishment laws for several years, however, with the development of science and technology there has been creations of lots of new crimes such as surrogate surgery of medical circle and hidden camera problems of a public toilets.

◦My life is not your porn: War against tiny cameras

According to KCC(Korea Communications Commission) recently, there have been lots of increases in illegal shooting in South Korea. The number of suspected perpetrators identified bypolice rose from 1,354 in 2011 to 5,363 in 2017; more than 95 percents were men. In other words,an average of 14.6 cases of “molka” - using hidden cameras to take pictures or videos for sexual purposes - were reported per day last year. And the victims are mostly in their 20s and 30s. Anybody can be victims of this tiny camera crime that `s because these crimes are happening in regard to any places and times. Now, the online sharing of intimate photos and videos taken by secret cameras is considered an epidemic in the country.

Since 2004 smart phone manufacturers have been required to ensure the cameras on their devices make loud shutter sounds when taking pictures and videos. But peeping toms can still use apps to silence their phone cameras, or use tiny spy cameras that can be hidden in bathroom walls, on watches or on shoes. Therefore it became more difficult to crackdown tiny cameras.

 People must know taking other`s picture by hidden cameras is exactly alike criminal. In accordance with Article 14 of the act on sexual crime of harassment, any criminals caught by this laws can be sent to jail for five years or fined 10 million won. While the numbers continue to increase, only 1,720 of the 4,499 hidden camera suspects identified by police in 2016 went to trial.

 The government announced a crackdown last March, increasing the number of municipal employee assigned to search public bathrooms for hidden cameras to 8,000 in October from the 50 currently at work. However, most of the people still do not count peeping others can be damaging to themselves because the current laws are too weak. Many people are speaking onan one voice to beef up the laws but there should be sweeping changes

 

◦Prevailing Surrogate Surgery on Medical circle

Surrogate surgery practices of a university hospital are rarely disappearing nowadays. Considering the importance of a matter, the law authorities put teeth in the regulation on punishment of the surrogate surgery. However medical team`s worries of insensitivity towards safety are lasting still. ‘Surrogate Surgery’ should be banned because they can cause ethicalproblems because they do not ask any agreement of a parent or guardian and also if anycomplications happen after the operation, it is hard to find a person to take charge of it. But in medical circle, nurses, auxiliary nurses, workers of medical suppliers are doing the medical practices on behalf on real operating surgeon.

Surrogate surgeries are illegal and they deserve punishment of civil and criminal trials. However, even if the legal sentence level has been upgraded, the administrative measures which will be imposed to the doctor or a hospital will just be a slap on the wrist. In fact, according to theMinistry of Health and Welfare, there are only two cases which became subject to punishment ofadministrative measure based on this year.

Most of the surrogate surgeries are coming into action secretly Therefore it is hard to catch the spot without whistleblower. In addition, health officials are not doing any managements, saying it is hard to crackdown. Victims of surrogate surgeries are increasing but still, there is no crackdown and management. However a university hospital`s apprenticeship education andthinking only of protecting its own organizations customs became obstacle to eradicate bad practices.