[Letters] The root of rising crime

Korea is currently seeing a drastic increase in heinous crimes which include murder, rape, robbery and arson.

According to statistics, it is said that this dramatic rise in crime has occurred continuously after the late 1990s economic crisis in Korea. Due to this phenomenon, citizens are now in fear more than any time previously, as they have no clue who will be the next target of crime. Such distrust derives from the reality that most heinous criminals nowadays are often likely to be ordinary neighbors who seem very nice and kind.

Then, why are these “good” people turning into criminals all of a sudden? Obviously, it is due to poverty and their poor environment. Many people seem to believe that Korea’s economy had gotten much better after the crisis in 1990s, but this isn’t the truth.

In fact, the social and economic gap between the rich and the poor has only grown wider.

In addition, the world economic crisis that began last year has also greatly contributed to the problem, resulting in bringing about more people in desperate situations.

It is said that more than 50 percent of criminals are people in their 30’s to 40’s whose primary responsibility is to support their families.

The majority of criminals nowadays are committing crimes not for their satisfaction, but for their families’ sake. Likewise, Korean society is currently going through a desperate situation with an increasing heinous crime rate and is in need of a solution as soon as possible.

The only way to reduce the crime rate and solve the problem is for the government to act to wholly modify the system that deals with Korean citizens’ economic situation.

Chung Eun-jee, Seoul