December2017

Overview of the ICCS Implementation work & Crime Statistics in Korea

Introduction of the ICCS and Initial Responses

• Hwang(2015), a researcher in the Crime Statistics Research Center of the Korean Institute of Criminology, introduced the

ICCS briefly in his column. He acknowledged the need of common classification of crime statistics at the international

level.

• However, Hwang(2015) listed several difficulties in implementing ICCS in South Korea.

• While the unit of classification of the ICCS is the “act” that constitutes a criminal offence, the Korean crime statistics is classified based on the violation of

the “law(a classification code was assigned to each article of the law).”

• In order to implement the ICCS, the Korean authority needs to match the codes in the “law” to the ICCS codes for “act.” But this process has many

difficulties.

• Korean National Police Agency & Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (Producers of Korean Crime Statistics)

• New burden & Difficulties of implementation

• Do not fully understand the necessity of the ICCS

1-1. Introduction of the ICCS in South Korea

Early 2016, Statistics Korea,

Korean Institute of Criminology,

& Police Science Institute

supported a research for the

implementation of the ICCS.

Translation of the ICCS manual

Listing the difficult issues in

implementing the ICCS in South

Korea

Held a seminar “Development of

Crime Classification: Challenges

in the Implementation of the ICCS”

in December, 2016

1-2. The Research for the Implementation of the ICCS

In 2017, the Statistics Korea

funded a research to examine

potential issues in matching

Korean classification of

crime(KCC) code with the ICCS

code.

Research team was organized with

criminologists, crime statistics experts,

and criminal law professors.

Research team examined all level 1

categories of the ICCS from 01 to 11.

1-2. The Research for the Implementation of the ICCS

2-1. Characteristics of the Korean Criminal Law

The Korean Criminal Law was enacted in 1953.

• The Japanese Criminal Law of 1907 and the 1941 draft of Japanese Criminal Law had a strong influence on the Korean Criminal Law(Cho, 2001).

• The Continental legal tradition.

• The Korean Criminal Law consists of 372 articles, including 4 Chapters of General Provisions and 42 Chapters of Specific Provisions.

There are more than 180 special criminal acts.

• The special criminal acts are political tools which serve mainly to demonstrate the resolve of the regime to fight crime.

• The Act for Punishment of Violent Conduct; The Act for Heavier Punishment of Specific Crimes; the Act for Punishment of Specific Violent Crime. . .

2-2. Recoding of Crime Raw Data

Each article of Criminal Law has an assigned statistical code

• For example, in the case of a murder

• Murder[Criminal Law § 250 (1)] : 124010100

• Instigation : 124010101 Accessory : 124010102

• Attempted murder[Criminal Law § 254] : 124010110

• Instigation : 124010111Accessory : 124010112

• Murder preparation[Criminal Law § 255] : 124010120

In the case of special criminal acts, the statistical code was assigned irregularly.

• Some cases, only a single statistical code was assigned for “the entire Act”

• The Act for the Punishment of Crime punishable by the International Criminal Court : 206055900

• Some special criminal acts have a few statistical code.

• The Act for the Management of Drugs has only three codes(Marihuana, Methamphetamine, Other drug)

2-2. Recoding of Crime Raw Data

Statistical codes in the Korean Classification of Crime Table

2-2. Recoding of Crime Raw Data

When a police official recognizes and investigates a crime incident, he/she need to fill out 「Crime Statistics Raw Table(범죄원표)」.

• 「Crime Statistics Raw Table」 has

three different sections.

• 1) Occurrence Raw Table (발생원표)

• 2) Arrest Raw Table (검거원표)

• 3) Victim Raw Table (피해자원표)

• Currently, computerized “Crime Information Management System(CIMS)” is used.

Article §

Crime Information Management System(CIMS)

2-3. Production of Crime Statistics in South Korea

Korean National Police Agency, Korean Coast Guard, Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and several special police agencies (custom, railroad, labor...) collect crime statistics.

• Supreme Prosecutors’ Office

gathers these collected crime statistics and publishes 「Analytical Statistics on Crime」.

2-3. Production of Crime Statistics in South Korea

Korean police also produce annual crime statistics 「Korean Police Crime Statistics」.

• Since the majority of crime cases are handled by the police, about 91% of crime statistics is collected by the police.

Therefore, Korean people currently have two different crime statistics reports.

Both 「Analytical Statistics on Crime」and 「Korean Police Crime Statistics」 are

approved by the Statistics Korea as official crime statistics.

Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s 「Analytical Statistics on Crime」

2-3. Crime Index in South Korea

Police Agency’s「Korean Police Crime

Statistics」Index Crimes

Property crimes Theft, stolen good, fraud, embezzlement…

Seriously violent crimes (Heinous)

Murder, Robbery, Arson, Sexual Assault

Seriously violent crimes (Violence)

Assault, Injury, Duress, Kidnapping…

Counterfeiting crimes Currency, securities, stamps,document…

Government officials’crimes

Dereliction of duty, abuse of authority, taking bribery…

Public moral crimes Illegal gambling, public exposure..

Criminal negligence crimes

Involuntary manslaughter, negligent injury ..

Other crimes Insult, perjury…

Index Crimes

Seriously violent crimes Murder, Attempted murder, Robbery, Rape, Other sex crimes, Arson

Theft Theft

Violent crimes Injury, Violence, Arrest, Duress, Kidnapping, ..

Intelligent crimes(white collar crimes)

Dereliction of duty, abuse of authority, taking bribery, counterfeiting currency, embezzlement…

Public moral crimes Illegal gambling, public exposure

Other crimes Drug, health…

In some cases, there is no Korean Criminal Acts for the punishment.

Euthanasia[0105]

Status offenses[11021]

Sports doping

Solution Do not match. [without law, there is no crime]

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3-1. Issues in Matching & Solution

Korean Classification of Crime(KCC) Codes needs to be more specific in order to match with the ICCS

codes.

Except the Criminal Law, many special criminal laws do not have detailed codes for each article of a law.

For example, the “Act for the Management of Drugs” has only three KCC codes(Marihuana, Methamphetamine, Other drug)

for the entire law. It is hard to match the KCC codes with the ICCS Level 06’s “Acts involving controlled drugs or other

psychoactive substances” sub-category codes(Level 02 – Level 03 – Level 04)

Solution If the higher level of ICCS code can cover the KCC codes, matching with the higher level

of codes will be a solution.

For example, KCC codes for Marihuana can be counted at the level-2 code “O601” instead of 060111~060129

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3-1. Issues in Matching & Solution

A KCC Code for a combined violation(ex. Injury while robbery[138110000]) can be matched to either

O2(Injury) or 04(Robbery) of ICCS codes.

Injury while rape also has the same problem. Which ICCS code is proper one between O2(Injury) and 03(Sex crimes)? There

is no guideline for this kind of the combined violation.

Solution Hierarchy rule or other solutions need to be provided.

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3-1. Issues in Matching & Solution

A KCC Code for a certain special law(a single code for an entire Act) can be matched with two or more

ICCS codes.

For example, the Act for the Punishment of Tax Law Violation (KCC code: 211020100 for the entire Act) can include an

illegal production of the alcoholic drink(ICCS 06) and illegal sales of gasoline without license (ICCS 08)

In this case, by looking at the KCC code it is impossible to match with the ICCS code.

Solution The KCC code for special laws needs to be more specific

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3-1. Issues in Matching & Solution

4-1. Things to Do

Reduction of RESISTANCE!

Naturally people do not want to change.

Let the practitioners who are in charge of the Crime Statistics Know the benefit of the

implementation of ICCS.

Further research is required.

Academic seminar for the criminologist and crime statistics professionals is required to obtain

support.

There should be ICCS matching trainings for the police officials who are collecting crime statistics