Lawyer-and-mother offers legal guide for parents with digital-native children

By Lee Hae-rin

Lee Su-ji, a lawyer and a mother of a seven-year-old who co-authored a legal guide for parents with digital-native children / Courtesy of Lee Su-ji

Lee Su-ji, a lawyer with 10 years of experience who is also the mother of a seven-year-old child, has published a legal guide for parents with digital-native children, who grow up under the ubiquitous influence of modern information technologies, social media and potential exposure to digital crimes.

In her first book published last month titled, “My child's SNS that I didn't know: Legal common sense to protect my child on SNS taught by a lawyer and mother,” the partner attorney at the Seoul-based Law Firm Changgyeong who specialized in criminal code and intellectual property rights, now shares legal knowledge based on both her personal and professional experiences.

“I was in middle school when I had my first mobile phone and already a university graduate in the workforce by the time I started using a smartphone,” Lee said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.

“In contrast, my daughter has grown up with tech devices … and she knows naturally how to leave an online comment and search for a video clip that suits her taste, without anyone teaching her how,” Lee said, adding that she finds it amazing but also alarming how quickly her child learns digital skills.

The lawyer said she has received an increasing number of parents seeking legal assistance for their school-age children involved in digital crime cases as clients. The cases range from major crimes such as voice phishing, cyberbullying and deep-fake crimes to minor illegalities caused by simple ignorance, such as leaving inappropriate online comments and infringing copyright by sharing web novels.

Korea is witnessing an increase in digital crimes involving minors, both as victims and perpetrators.

One out of five teenagers in Seoul have experienced digital sex crimes, according to the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family's 2021 survey with Seoul-based 4,012 aged between 11 and 19.

However, awareness levels on digital crimes remain low, as nine out of 10 child perpetrators of digital sex crimes said they didn't think their actions were serious crimes, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's analysis of counseling records with minor offenders.

“My child's SNS that I didn't know: Legal common sense to protect my child on SNS taught by a lawyer and mother” / Courtesy of Jaeum and Moeum Publishing

The book, which Lee co-authored with another lawyer who is also a mother of two children, covers legal concepts including copyrights, portrait rights, and defamation, which both parents and children could encounter in daily lives.

Also, it offers legal tips for parents who have children wishing to become YouTube creators and a guide to dealing with school violence cases, which often involve use of social media nowadays.

“Many people could think that law is too difficult, boring and has nothing to do with their lives, but understanding law can be a great strength for both parents and children, especially in our time,” Lee said.

“Also, to make this world a better and safer place for our children, we, the parents, should pay more attention to our legal system, question whether it's well-made, and think about how it can improved.”