Judge Cheon Jong-ho, the inspiration for [Juvenile Justice]
A tearful and moving story of a juvenile trial

"About the Boy I Met" is a special edition of Judge Jong-ho Cheon, the "godfather of juvenile offenders," which has selected essays that have resonated greatly with readers from his previous books.
All sentences have been refined and the content has been enriched to make it easy to read for both teenagers and adults, and warm and affectionate illustrations have been added.
New articles on law and justice, the rule of law and community, as well as recent debates regarding the Juvenile Act, are also included.
Judge Chun Jong-ho makes the boys tremble with his harsh scolding in the courtroom, but after the trial, he sheds tears over the poor conditions of the boys and listens to their heartbreaking stories.
He says it again and again.
When the formwork of flight is removed, the vulnerability of children who are thrown without any protection in the face of the absurdity and violence of life is fully revealed.
There are many children in the world who are in situations that no one should ever have to go through, and no child should ever be in that kind of environment.
While we are living in times of anxiety and cynicism, Judge Chun Jong-ho has been changing the world little by little, fearless and throwing himself into it.
This book delivers a small but shining ray of hope to our cold community, where voices of criticism are only growing louder.


* This book is a donation book, with all royalties donated to the Youth Recovery Center.

Because the juvenile judge's decision could determine a boy's life, I always calmed my mind and prayed before entering the courtroom.
Please let me give the boys the most appropriate yet fair punishment, and let them accept my punishment not as retribution for their sins, but as a new beginning in life.

--- From the "Introductory Note"

Among the children who were tried by me as juveniles, there were cases where they safely completed their time in juvenile detention centers or returned home after completing their period of placement and contacted me often.
They may suddenly call crying, saying they are so sick they are dying but there is no one to take care of them, or ask what to do when their parents are filing for divorce, or call asking for help because they were in a car accident while riding a motorcycle.
It's always a pleasure and a blessing when children contact me, a judge, because it means they're not doing anything wrong.
--- From "The Boy Is Here"

The fact is that, contrary to expectations, the proportion of serious crimes such as school violence, murder, and sexual assault among all juvenile crime cases is not as large as one might think.
So-called 'livelihood' crimes are far more common than these incidents.
Among the children I met in juvenile court, the overwhelming majority were children who had been brought to court for livelihood-related crimes.
The largest proportion of juvenile crimes is theft, which involves stealing items. Among these, there was a child who was brought to court for stealing snacks from a supermarket.
--- From "An Apology for Young Jean Valjeans"

It is natural that if you commit a sin, you will be punished.
There can be no exception just because he is a juvenile offender.
But people seem to prefer dividing and separating rather than pooling their strength.
There are so many different divisions and divisions: good kids and bad kids, problem kids and model students, at-risk youth and normal youth.
Perhaps this kind of discernment comes from the minds of people who have never experienced the hardships of life.
Anyone who has ever experienced the hardships of life knows how thin and fragile the boundaries between one thing and another can be.

--- From "When you're tempted to steal, think of this wallet"

'It's not your fault that you were born to irresponsible parents...
A girl with many dreams has only one wish: to have her whole family gather for a meal together. What sin can there be in your tender heart that cannot even resent your parents for not being able to grant even that small wish?
It is not you who should apologize, but rather us adults.
Rather, we are sorry.
We who did not offer you a single warm word when you were wandering alone, we who did not extend a hand when you were struggling so much that you wanted to die, we who did not create a good environment for you… … .
--- From "No, rather, we are sorry"

The flying boy is the invisible man of our society.
Because they are children who clearly exist but no one pays attention to.
The only time these children show their presence is when an incident occurs.
Normally, we don't even know about it, but when a shocking incident occurs, all the world's sharp eyes are focused on the flying boy.
There is no favor in that gaze.
Few people think about what kind of lives these children lived before their accidents or what kind of lives they will lead in the future.
--- From "Judge, I will never repay your kindness"

Instead of my mother's voice, only a cold, mechanical voice saying, "Your number is out of service" was heard on the phone.
My mom canceled my phone number because she was afraid that Sangjun would call again.
At that time, Sangjun is said to have cried and said this to the center director's wife.
“But I still wanted to see your face once…….
I wanted to see what my mom looked like, even from far away… … .
--- From "Please Let Me Call You Mom"

“When I was sent to the medical detention center for juveniles, I had a lot of resentment toward the judge.
I was so angry I couldn't stand it.
But while I was there, I happened to read the judge's book.
After reading that book, I made a vow to the judge in my heart that I would become a new person.
Because of that, I worked hard in juvenile detention center.
After leaving my aunt's house, I survived on 70,000 won for 10 days, and after I ran out of money, I continued to starve.
But I didn't steal.
The reason is because of the promise I made to the judge.”
--- From "I endured hunger because of you, Judge"

No matter what excuses are made, the current state of society was created by the 'adults' of our society.
In a society where violence is primarily learned at home, where violence is tolerated with impunity, what can children possibly learn? Most children are already gradually losing the ability to empathize with pain and sorrow on a human-to-human level.
--- From "These days, kids are the problem?"

This is precisely why school violence is so scary.
Because there are children who choose to commit suicide because they cannot overcome their suffering.
What kind of violence did they experience that drove them to such extreme measures as suicide? Even if they fortunately avoid such choices, the aftereffects of school violence can be severe, with victims suffering from resentment and hostility toward the perpetrators, or even depression.
--- From "Fun School? Disaster School?"

Have you ever considered how to truly help victims like H? Will simply expressing your hatred for the perpetrator, petitioning for severe punishment, and leaving comments on articles truly heal and restore the perpetrator's wounds? No.
That alone is not enough.
--- From "May we share the pain together"

In France, there is a walking tour program for young flight attendants called 'Seuil'.
The recidivism rate of the youth who completed the walking tour was 15 percent, which was significantly lower than the 85 percent recidivism rate of the general juvenile delinquent.
… … I, too, was deeply moved by the direction that Soyuiyu was pursuing, and since 2015, with the help of the Mansa Boys Foundation and sponsors, I have been doing my best to implement the ‘2-person 3-legged walking tour’ with children.

--- From "When one door closes, another opens"