본내부교정 slap on the wrist 수정최종.docx
A Slap on the Wrist for Serious Crimes
By Jeon
Seung-jeong, Social Reporter, tmdwjd4984@mju.ac.kr
“A slap on the wrist” is a one of the
most well-known key phrases on the news of South Korea, and its use has not
been declining over the past few decades. The laws in South Korean society are
very ironic because they are more lenient to criminals and crueler to victims.
Even if you kill a
person by driving drunk or record someone with a hidden cameras or bully your
classmates, South Korea`s mighty law will consider extenuating circumstances in
each of these situations and give you a chance to commit another “crime”. South
Korean has been pushing for stricter punishment laws for several years, ;
however, with the development of science and technology, there has been the
creations of lots of many new crimes to fight, such as surrogate surgery in
medicine or hidden cameras public toilets.
◦My life is not your porn: The war against
tiny cameras
According to the Korea Communications
Commission (KCC), there has been a recent increases in illegal shooting photo
and video taking in South Korea. The number of suspected perpetrators
identified by police rose from 1,354 in 2011 to 5,363 in 2017,; and more than
95% of them were men. In other words, an average of 14.6 cases of “molka”—using
a hidden cameras to take pictures or videos secretively for sexual purposes—per
day - were reported last year. Most victims are in their 20s and 30s. Anybody
can be a victims of this tiny camera crime because these crimes it is happening
in any places at any times. Now At present, the online sharing of intimate
photos and videos taken by secret hidden cameras is considered an epidemic in
the country.
Since 2004, smart phone manufacturers have
been required to ensure cameras on their devices to make a loud shutter sounds
when taking pictures and videos. However, 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 b has become more
difficult to crackdown on the use of tiny cameras.
People know that taking pictures of others
with a hidden cameras is a criminal activity. In accordance with article 14 of
on the crime of sexual harassment, any criminals found to have violated by these
laws can be sent to jail for five years or be 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 employees assigned to search public
bathrooms for hidden cameras from the previous 50 to 8,000 in October However,
most of the people committing these crimes still do not believe that secretly
peeking at others will damage them because the current laws are too weak. Many
other people are speaking out with one voice to call for the government to beef
up the laws, but there need to be sweeping changes
◦ Surrogate surgery in medicine
The practice of Surrogate surgery taking
place at a university hospitals still exists today. Considering the importance
of this matter, the authorities have put teeth into the regulations for the punishment of surrogate surgery.
However, the medical community`s worries regarding the insensitivity towards
safety remain. “Surrogate surgery” should be banned because it can cause
ethical problems as they do not ask for the consent of a patient or their
parent or guardian. In addition, if any complications arise after an operation,
it is hard to find the person who should take responsibility for them.
Nevertheless, in some medical circles, nurses, auxiliary nurses, and the
workers from medical suppliers are doing the medical practices on behalf of a
real surgeon.
Surrogate surgeries are illegal, and they
deserve punishments that result from of civil and criminal trials. However, even
if the level of punishment has been increased, the penalty that will be imposed
on the doctor or hospital will only be a slap on the wrist. In fact, according
to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, there have been only two cases that have
been subject to penalties this year.
Most surrogate surgeries are taking place
secretly; therefore, it is hard uncover them without a whistleblower. Health
officials are trying to manage this problem, but say that it is hard to
crackdown on these violations. The number of victims of surrogate surgery is on
the increase, but there has still been no crackdown or management of this
problem. The apprentice education system used by university hospitals and the
protection of these have been an obstacle to eradicating these bad practices.