More than 50,000 people have signed a petition known as the “Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act,” calling for the age threshold for statutory rape to be raised to 19. It will now be referred to the relevant standing committee in the National Assembly for review since the petition met the required 50,000 signatures within 30 days.
Posted on March 31st on the National Assembly’s official petition site, the petition—titled “Bill to Raise the Age and Strengthen Penalties for Statutory Rape Against Minors”—received 52,711 signatures as of 9 AM on April 8th.
The petitioner wrote: “A recent grooming-related sexual crime committed by a former Hallyu star against a child actress, who was a minor at the time, has sparked national outrage. However, the current law only protects minors between the ages of 13 and 16 under the statutory rape clause, meaning the individual in question cannot be prosecuted.”
While names were withheld, the context suggests the case may involve the recent controversy surrounding Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Sae Ron.
The petitioner further argued, “Although South Korean law defines minors as anyone under 18, the current statutory rape clause only protects those between 13 and 16. As a result, an adult who groomed and manipulated a promising young actress from a young age—and is believed to have contributed to her tragic death—may not face legal consequences.” The person concluded the petition by urging lawmakers to prevent similar incidents through the proposed revision, referred to as the “Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act.”
The petition calls for the current protected age range of 13–16 to be raised to 13–19, and for stricter penalties: changing the punishment for molestation from a fine to a minimum of 2 years’ imprisonment, and increasing the minimum sentence for rape from 2 to 5 years.
Under South Korea’s public petition system, any proposal that secures 50,000 signatures within 30 days is submitted to the appropriate standing committee in the National Assembly for deliberation.
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