South Korea’s ‘Kim Soo-hyun’ petition urges higher age ceiling for statutory rape law
Kim Soo-hyun, the star of Queen of Tears, is accused of dating the late actress Kim Sae-ron from when she was 15 years old
The renewed scrutiny comes as the family of another deceased actress, known by her stage name Sulli, accused Kim Soo-hyun of forcing her into performing nude scenes.
A petition surfaced on an online platform of the National Assembly on Monday urging lawmakers to raise the age ceiling for the criminal offence of statutory rape to 19 years old from 16 years old currently.
The anonymous petitioner has dubbed the proposal the “Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Act”.
South Koreans legally become adults at 19 years old. Under Korean laws, engaging in sexual intercourse with minors aged between 13 and 16 or committing intimate acts with those under 13 is considered rape, which is punishable with up to life imprisonment.
“The age limit for statutory rape … has allowed a paedophile, who seduced and deceived a promising female actress from childhood until her death, to evade the law,” said the petitioner, who also called for a stiffer penalty for statutory rape.