On the 17th, the People Power Party announced a pledge to lower the age threshold for minors engaged in serious crimes from the current under 14 years to under 12 years.
A minor engaged in a crime refers to individuals aged 10 to 14 years who are not subject to criminal punishment.
The party's policy coordination headquarters noted in a press release that it will "robustly protect the health and safety of the people and national security from brutal crimes, cyber security and security threats, disasters, drug addiction, etc.," and unveiled the pledge for a "country the people can feel secure in."
The People Power Party pledged to raise the minimum sentences for serious crimes and to revise the criteria for increased penalties for repeat offenders. It stated that it would apply a zero-tolerance principle for crimes with a high risk of recidivism, such as damage to electronic monitoring devices, repeated stalking, and retaliatory crimes.
In the wake of the SK Telecom SIM card information hacking incident, plans are in place to re-evaluate the facilities and information held by influential corporations and institutions. Designation of major information and communication infrastructure will occur, and the scope of information subject to encryption will be expanded.
Additionally, it was noted that to prevent jeonse fraud, the system will be revised to allow for the pre-issuance of the 'guarantee insurance eligibility certificate' by guarantee agencies before contract signing.
To alleviate public anxiety regarding sinkholes, a comprehensive maintenance plan targeting aging sewer pipelines over 30 years old will be established, and support for research and development (R&D) related to subsurface exploration equipment and technology development will be pledged.
It was also stated that to prevent the recurrence of the 'Jeju Air passenger aircraft disaster,' a fully independent or semi-independent 'National Aviation Safety Agency' will be established, with the aviation and railway accident investigation committee under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport transferring to the National Aviation Safety Agency.
It also announced plans to significantly increase the number of medium- and large-sized helicopters for wildfire suppression and to establish a large-scale wildfire extinguishing system utilizing fixed-wing aircraft and large unmanned helicopters.
It pledged to codify 'cyber defamation' to protect the public from digital personality infringement. The intention is to separately define acts of defamation in online spaces through amendments to the criminal code or the Information and Communication Network Act, allowing for potential prison sentences based on the seriousness of the offense.
To strengthen national security, it was stated that a national cybersecurity law (tentative name) will be enacted, including provisions for establishing a nationwide cybersecurity control tower and penalizing acts that threaten cybersecurity in peacetime.
It also promised to establish new immunity regulations for emergency measures by fire, police, and disaster response officials, enhance compensation systems for promotions, and introduce a system recognizing private participants in disaster response as public servants under the Public Servants' Disaster Compensation Act.
For drug offenders with three or more offenses, penalties will be strengthened through increased punishments and a conditional tracking system for drug testing. It was noted that all criminal proceeds of drug distributors will be fully recovered. Plans are also in place to enact the Addiction Treatment Recovery Support Act to support early intervention, treatment technology development, treatment assistance, and recovery services for addictive disorders.