A middle school student discharges a fire extinguisher at an internet cafe in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Tuesday. (JTBC) The parents of a middle school student involved in a disturbance at an internet cafe in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, posted an apology online, saying they would take responsibility for their child’s actions.The apology, uploaded Sunday to the online community Bobaedream by a person identifying themselves as the parent of one of the students involved, drew widespread attention after surveillance footage of the incident was broadcast on television.According to the post and media reports, two students entered an unmanned internet cafe last Tuesday, where they allegedly smoked cigarettes and searched through the counter area.After a staff member told them to leave, the students allegedly threatened to bring local gang members to the venue before discharging a fire extinguisher inside the cafe.Around 10 customers were reportedly inside at the time. One customer was covered with extinguisher powder, while the students allegedly mocked the situation and recorded it on their smartphones.In the post, the parent repeatedly apologized for the incident and said they would compensate the cafe owner and victims.“The harm my child caused to society is so serious that they deserve punishment and even imprisonment,” the parent wrote.“As the parent who failed to raise the child properly, I understand that it is my responsibility to compensate the victims, whether that requires taking out loans or borrowing money.”The parent said they had been trying to contact the cafe owner and victims to apologize in person, stressing that the effort was not intended to seek leniency over compensation or punishment. A photo of a student with a short hair cut, which the parent said was part of a disciplinary measure following a disturbance at an internet cafe in Gunsan (Bobaedream) The post included a claim that the child had been disciplined with a stick and a photograph showing a girl with her hair cut short. The parent said the measures were taken despite the child being below South Korea’s age of criminal responsibility, which is 14.“As soon as I learned of the incident, I administered corporal punishment using a backscratcher, despite such methods being out of step with modern laws,” the parent wrote. “I also instructed the child to go to a hair salon and cut her hair short, as a student should after committing such wrongdoing. I apologize for not shaving it completely.”The apology drew mixed reactions online. Many commenters praised the parent’s apology as sincere and heartfelt, while others said severe corporal punishment should not be encouraged.The post also reignited debate over whether juvenile offenders should face punishments closer to those imposed on adults.The parent expressed support for calls to abolish or lower the age threshold for criminal responsibility, amid allegations that some minors exploit legal protections to avoid punishment.A March survey by Gallup Korea found that 81 percent of respondents supported lowering the age threshold.However, the government is reportedly moving toward maintaining the current standard after a review body formed by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family decided against reducing it.