Three middle school students have been given jail terms for stealing and driving a vehicle without a license, as well as for assaulting police officers.

On Wednesday, the Jeju District Court handed down jail terms ranging between 8 and 18 months. Under South Korean law, minors can be given short and long sentences, with the short term incarceration dependent on behavior during the period of detention.

The teens were indicted on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act. They were accused of taking and driving cars which had been left unlocked in parking lots eight times from September to December last year.

The cars were mainly taken from the parking lot of Jeju International Airport and public parking areas in Seogwipo, Jeju.

The police said the students believed they wouldn't be arrested as they were juvenile offenders.

"I'm going to be released today. ... Why don't (the victims) lock their cars?" one of the students was quoted as saying.

The court said, "One of the juvenile offenders obstructed police in carrying out their duties and even hit the police officer."