Written by Enoch StrickLand
I recently returned from a semester-long exchange programme in South Korea for Semester 2 of 2022. I noticed one significant difference between the Northern Territory (NT), where I was born and raised, and Seoul. Petty crime is almost non-existent in Seoul. When I saw someone drop a credit card, a lady would rush to pick it up and hand it over to the owner. I saw people pick up misplaced credit cards and leave them on the side of the road in the hope that the owner will find them. Personally, I dropped my iPhone in a bar and had it returned to the bartender in the hopes that I would find it (which I eventually did). My point? Korea has developed a society in which you don’t have to worry about theft, nor are you concerned about your own safety when you walk down the street at 2am.
When I lived in Seoul, I noticed some distinguishing characteristics that contributed to such a safe and secure society. When walking around Seoul, you will notice an enormous number of CCTV cameras watching and occasionally tracking you. Anyone who is tempted to commit a crime must think long and hard about it. Another notable difference is the public’s high level of trust in the Korean police force.
It is safe to say that there is some animosity between the police and the citizens of the Northern Territory. In the Northern Territory, there is a higher level of distrust between Indigenous communities and the police force, particularly among young people. TikTok and the livestreaming of criminal activity exacerbate this, encouraging even more bad behaviour. It doesn’t help that many of the parents of the younger children are also drinking. This contributes to the NT’s other source of crime, the glorification of crime. Tik Tok livestreaming makes it appear fun, and Snapchat messages also help to encourage young kids to make it appear fashionable to do drugs, smoke, drink underage, steal, or vandalise. This is in stark contrast to Korean culture, where young people are not glorified for committing crimes, using drugs, or breaking the law. In fact, there is a strong culture of public shaming in Korea, which helps keep young people in line. Drugs are difficult to obtain, as strict laws prohibit the consumption or importation of any type of drug. Finally, there is a high level of respect for elders in Korean society, making it unthinkable to commit crimes which might embarrass your parents or cause harm to an elder person.
The NT could learn from Korea’s success in reducing petty crime and making the NT a much safer place. There should be stricter restrictions on the content that juveniles can access in order to encourage better behaviour. More positive engagement between police forces and indigenous children is required, as well as recruitment programmes and more Indigenous police officers. The NT must take a stronger stance to ensure that fewer drugs enter Aboriginal communities and destroy more families. Finally, the NT must put a spin on Indigenous customs that to your respect elders you must listen to authorities within communities. As I saw in Seoul, using the respect youths have for their elders can be a very powerful way to ensure that laws and unsafe behaviour are discouraged for fear of bringing shame to their families.