Lee Ji-won (Sophomore, Dept. of Japanese Language and Literature)
    Nine-year-old boy Min-sik died in a car accident when walking across the road in a school zone in 2019. Named after the boy ‘Min-sik’, the ‘Min-sik Law’ is the revised version of the Road Traffic Act and was introduced imposing at least three years of imprisonment for any incidence of children’s death within school zones and for drivers who neglect their duty to drive safely. The problem is that the standard for ‘negligence of duty to drive safely’ is ambiguous. Three years of imprisonment is also too excessive when compared to willful murder. I think the law should be revised to alleviate sentencing guidelines for accidental cases of children’s death, and specific criteria should be provided for keeping the duty of safe driving in school zones.

By Lee Yun-joo, Guest Reporter