South Korea court upholds 55-year jail-for-adultery law

sermonindex Oct 30, 2008

~~[b]~~South Korea court upholds 55-year jail-for-adultery law[/b]

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea's highest court upheld on Thursday a decades-old adultery law that can send people to jail for having an extramarital affair that critics say is anachronistic and infringes on personal freedom.

The fourth appeal made to the Constitutional Court since 1989 was brought by the lawyers for a popular actress who was charged under the law when her TV personality husband filed a criminal complaint against her for having an affair with an opera singer.

"The legal clause does limit an individual's right to sexual freedom and the right to privacy, but does not violate the principle of forbidding excessive measure," the court said in an opinion overturning the appeal.

"This society's legal perception that adultery is damaging to the social order and infringes on another's right continues to be effective," the court said. ...

sermonindex Oct 31, 2008

The amount of adultery is wide spread in Korea. Prostitution and other forms of adult companionship is blatantly advertized and welcomed. This trial would be few and far between any sweeping legislation happening in the country.

T

theopenlife Oct 31, 2008

That's impressive, almost Puritanical.

Brian, your insider-view is appreciated.

S

stromboli Oct 31, 2008

When the puritans went north, nobody preached harder on sin, yet prostitution and crime were higher there than anywhere else. Goes to show you, "The law worketh wrath". Preaching against sin or making laws against sin never helped anything. It only makes matters worse. A real relationship with God is the only hope.