Petition to amend statutory rape law follows Kim Soo-hyun press conference

Actor Kim Soo-hyun speaks during a press conference addressing his relationship with late actor Kim Sae-ron in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, western Seoul, Monday. (Yonhap)

Following actor Kim Soo-hyun’s tearful press conference on Monday addressing his relationship with the late Kim Sae-ron, a petition to address statutory rape laws submitted to the National Assembly had gathered over 30,000 signatures in less than two days.

Calling the amendment to be coined the “Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Act,” the petitioner urged lawmakers to make an amendment to statutory rape laws to include ages 13 to 19. Currently, statutory rape laws in South Korea only protect those aged 13 to 16.

“The grooming sexual abuse committed by Hallyu star Kim Soo-hyun against then-child actor Kim Sae-ron has outraged the entire country,” wrote the petitioner. “Unfortunately, the current law only protects children aged between 13 and 16, meaning Kim Soo-hyun cannot be legally prosecuted.”

In addition to calling for the age threshold for statutory rape to be raised, the petition further calls for stricter penalties on sexual offenses against minors, including jail time of a minimum of two years for indecent acts and five years for cases related to rape.

As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the petition had gathered 33,643 signatures in support, after the petition was made on Monday.

Petitions on the National Assembly’s public petition system are available for the public to read and sign digitally for 30 days. If a petition receives over 50,000 signatures within the 30-day period, it is referred to the relevant National Assembly committee for review. Once the committee adopts the petition, it is presented to a National Assembly plenary session.

This photo shows a screenshot of a petition submitted to the National Assembly’s public petition system, calling for an amendment to be made to South Korea’s statutory rape laws. Coined the “Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Act,” the petition has gathered more than 30,000 signatures as of 2 p.m., Wednesday. (Screenshot from the National Assembly’s public petition website)

Meanwhile, Kim Soo-hyun has come under intense scrutiny following allegations of romantic involvement with late actor Kim Sae-ron while she was underage. During Monday’s press conference, Kim denied all allegations of being in a romantic relationship with the late actor when she was underage, asserting that their yearlong relationship began in 2019 -- when she was 19 and he was 31 years old.

Following the press conference, Kim Soo-hyun and his agency filed a lawsuit seeking 12 billion won ($8.18 million) in damages against a woman calling herself Kim Sae-ron’s aunt as well as against HoverLab, a far-right YouTube channel that has been publishing videos regarding the controversy.