On November 8, the last Yongbong Forum of the second semester took place on the fourth floor of the auditorium of the Chonnam National University Museum. Profiler Kwon Il-yong (Adjunct Professor, Graduate School of Police Administration, Dongguk University) gave a lecture entitled “The Characteristics and Types of Crime in Contemporary Society.” He is the first profiler in Korea and made many appearances on TV after his retirement. His fame and proven professionalism brought over 350 people to attend his lecture.
Many people, including the university students and local residents, could not get inside the lecture room due to the small size of the venue compared to the lecture attendees. The audiovisual room in the museum was not enough, but there was no choice as the other lecture rooms were already reserved for different events, according to an unnamed official. Yoo Ji-min (Dept. of Agricultural Economics) said, “I didn’t expect the room to be this crowded. My friends and I are disappointed that we won’t be able to attend the lecture.” Due to the inadequate space, some had to resort to sitting on the floor, or standing near the open doors of the auditorium.
Despite the seating complications, Profiler Kwon successfully presented his lecture, emphasizing solidarity and neighborliness. According to him, the reason criminals commit a crime is changing from living difficulties or having an exact reason before the 1990s to random people being targets of crime. It was why he also emphasized how the public considers victims. Instead of excessive attention to personal details, the public has to be concerned with ways to protect the victim and the family with warm support. He also asked not to blame victims without knowing all the facts.
Kim Eun-seo (Freshman, Dept. of Chinese Language and Literature) said, “As a student who wants to be a prison officer, I was impressed with a book Kwon Il-yong wrote. So, I was honored to be here and listen to his lecture in person. He said the public should remind that victimizing is not their fault. It was the most memorable saying. I also realized how important rehabilitation programs at prisons are.” The last Yongbong Forum of 2023 came to an end with this lecture.
By Jung Da-gyo, Editor