In-depth Analysis of North Korea's "Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Law" ()

Key Chapter Title List

1. Basic Principles of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Law
2. Education and Cultivation of Juveniles
3. Standards for Law-Abiding Behavior of Juveniles
4. Legal Education Responsibilities of Educational Institutions
5. Educational Obligations of Parents and Guardians
6. Educational Responsibilities of Cultural, Publishing, and Broadcasting Institutions
7. Prohibited Acts for Juveniles
8. Relevant Obligations of Institutions and Citizens
9. Protection of Juveniles Without Guardians
10. Control of Juveniles with Tendencies Toward Illegal Acts
11. Legal Duties of Supervisory Institutions
12. Investigation of Legal Liability

Document Introduction

Against the backdrop of the DPRK's commitment to maintaining social stability and cultivating reliable national builders, the "Juvenile Crime Prevention Law" was passed in Juche 109 (2020) through Resolution No. 415 of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, becoming the core legal document regulating juvenile behavior and preventing juvenile crime. The formulation of this law aims to strengthen the crackdown on juvenile crime while constructing a favorable environment for the healthy growth of juveniles, highlighting the DPRK's consistent policy orientation of viewing juveniles as the nation's future and successors to the revolution.

The legal framework is divided into four main parts, logically constructing a complete system for juvenile crime prevention. Chapter One clarifies the legislative purpose, prevention principles, protection principles, and the relationship with other laws, establishing the core prevention concept of "strengthening legal education from an early stage," and emphasizing the synergistic role of schools, families, and society in legal education. Chapter Two focuses on the education and cultivation of juveniles, respectively stipulating the specific educational responsibilities of educational institutions, parents/guardians, and cultural/publishing/broadcasting institutions, forming a multi-dimensional educational guidance mechanism.

Chapter Three revolves around law-abiding behavior of juveniles, detailing a list of prohibited acts for juveniles, covering areas such as violent crimes, misconduct, truancy and vagrancy, tobacco and alcohol consumption, among others. It also clarifies juveniles' obligations to confess and report, as well as schools' notification responsibilities, and prohibited influential acts by institutions and citizens, constructing a comprehensive network of behavioral constraints and supervision. Furthermore, this chapter makes special provisions for the protection of juveniles without guardians and the control of juveniles with tendencies toward illegal acts, reflecting a prevention approach tailored to different categories.

Chapter Four clarifies the mechanism for investigating legal liability, stipulating that educational personnel who violate this law and cause serious consequences will bear administrative or criminal responsibility according to the severity of the circumstances, providing a guarantee for the effective implementation of the law. As an important legal text for the protection of juvenile rights and social governance in the DPRK, this law not only demonstrates the logic of institutional design in the field of juvenile crime prevention in the DPRK but also provides an authoritative legal basis for understanding the DPRK's social governance model and juvenile cultivation policies.