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| /Courtesy of Twitter |
By Lee Han-soo
Kim Seung-hee, a lawmaker from the ruling Saenuri Party, is backing a bill to increase the statutory rape age in Korea from 13 to 16.
It is now legal to have sex with a girl aged over 13, with consent.
But if the bill passes, it will be illegal, even with consent..
The law is expected to affect online chatting sites and smartphone apps where prostitution of minors is rampant.
The bill comes after the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family reported that out of 566 teenagers who were victims of prostitution from 2011 to 2014, 270 were middle-school students. This represents 48 percent of total victims. The number of teenage victims also increased -- from 11 in 2011 to 144 in 2014.
One incident that enraged the public happened in 2011 when a teenager, 15, became pregnant after having sexual intercourse with an entertainment CEO in his 40s. The man was proven innocent after the court viewed the teenager's love letter to the CEO as a form of consent.
Experts say most underage victims of prostitution are runaway teenagers, who are most likely forced into it.
"Prostitution among teenagers is committed by teenagers who are unable to make the right decisions due to domestic violence and sexual assault," Kim said.
She expects the law to reduce underage prostitution.
The law also would increase the penalty for those who violate it. It now ranges from one to 10 years' jail and a fine of 20 million won ($17,600) to 50 million won. Under the new law, there would be at least a three-year mandatory jail sentence for offenders.
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