The rapidly aging South Korean society now has more criminal suspects aged 60 and older than those in their 20s, government data showed Sunday.
Out of the suspects for 1.58 million crimes that occurred in 2024, 18.8 percent were at least 61 years old, according to the National Police Agency report. This was higher than the 18.3 percent for suspects aged 19-30, marking the first time the number of suspects in the oldest age group surpassed the number of suspects in their 20s.
The portion of suspects in the youngest adult group has hovered around the 17-20 percent range each year since hitting 17.5 percent in 2014, but the percentage of senior citizens accused of a crime jumped drastically in the same period. In 2014, 8.8 percent of all suspects were in the oldest age group, which nearly doubled in 2020 to 15.8 percent, and has continued on an upward trend since.
The group of those 61 and older led all age groups in terms of murder suspects, accounting for 64 of 276 (23.2 percent). Forty-four murder suspects were aged 65 and older.
For other groups, 20.6 percent of criminal suspects in 2024 were aged 51-60, while another 20.5 percent were aged 41-50. Suspects aged 61 and older and the 19-30 group followed, trailed by 17 percent for those between the ages of 31 and 40.
About 4.8 percent of all suspects were aged 18 or under. Perpetrators aged under 19 are subject to the Juvenile Act, though those suspected of serious crimes can be charged under the Criminal Act. Children under 14 are exempt from criminal punishment.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
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