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Thu, February 2, 2023 | 04:37
Anti-adultery law passes into history
"간통죄 폐지는 시대상 반영한 것"…일부 우려도
Posted : 2015-02-26 18:29
Updated : 2015-02-26 20:59
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Justices of the Constitutional Court are seated at its courtroom in Seoul to announce their decision to decriminalize adultery, Thursday. / Yonhap
Justices of the Constitutional Court are seated at its courtroom in Seoul to announce their decision to decriminalize adultery, Thursday. / Yonhap

Constitutional Court rules 7-2 in favor of abolishing 62-year-old legal relic


By Kim Rahn, Lee Kyung-min

The 62-year-old "anti-cheating law" has been abolished.

In a decisive seven-to-two vote, the nine-member Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that Article 241 of the Criminal Code which makes adultery a crime was no longer valid. The ruling took effect immediately.

This was the court's fifth review of the controversial clause, with previous rulings between 1990 and 2008 all supporting it.

"Punishing people for committing adultery infringes on people's sexual self-determination and the freedom for privacy. So the clause is unconstitutional," the court said in the landmark ruling.

Previously, under the clause, those convicted of adultery could be sentenced to up to two years in prison.

With the abolishment of the clause, adultery charges on 5,466 people accused since the last Constitutional Court's ruling on adultery on Oct. 30 in 2008 have been annulled. Those convicted can also apply for retrials, and those jailed can demand compensation from the state.

Of the 5,466 people, only 22, or 0.4 percent, were detained, as most people received suspended terms — this was why many experts doubted the effectiveness of such punishment. Sentences have become lighter and last year 892 people were indicted but none were put behind bars.

The ruling will exempt those accused of adultery from criminal charges, but this does not mean they avoid all legal responsibility. Adulterers or adulteresses can still face civil damage suits.

The court said public recognition on adultery has not been in line with the law. "Maintaining a marriage and family should depend on individuals' free will and love," the court said, adding the law has often been misused in divorce suits and for blackmail.

Some of the justices pointed out that a single person who had an affair with a married person should not be punished by Criminal Law, and that it is inappropriate to issue jail sentences only to the violators.

Korea was one of the few nations that listed adultery as a criminal offense.

Since the law's inception in 1953, controversy has raged whether it was appropriate to list adultery as a criminal offense.

The court previous rulings turned down petitions to abolish it, saying sexual self-determination should be limited for social order.

In the last ruling in 2008, five justices found it unconstitutional — the first time the court's vote favored removing the clause — but they were one vote short to change the law.

Public opinion was split over the ruling.

Conservative groups strongly criticized the decision, claiming social morality was being compromised, while liberal civic groups and women's right advocates welcomed the removal of the clause.

Christian groups opposed the decision saying the sanctity of spousal duty will be put at risk.

"Monogamy is the most important glue that holds a marriage together. And if there is no punishment for those who cheat, the other spouse will be left helpless and it will ultimately encourage the dissolution of the marriage. Also, social morals are put at great risk. Not being punished by a criminal conviction virtually has the implicit effect of declaring that the act is not blameworthy," a member of Christian rights group said.

"Also, we must consider the other risks such as the right to a safe and stable marriage being compromised. For example, let's say the accomplice, who the cheated spouse had an affair with, has a family. Their life would be destroyed too. The law has so far functioned as a deterrent for adultery, but now that function is gone," he added.

"The decision shows the country is being derelict in its duty to keep society safe and in order."

However, women's rights group welcomed the decision saying it would improve their autonomy in general.

"The whole idea of punishing adultery has long been applied in discriminatory manner to women rather than men," said an official from women's rights group Womenlink.

"It is based on a belief that prioritizes women's duty to be faithful to men no matter what. Those are conservative and patriarchal family-oriented values that have long held women to a more scrupulous standard than men. Through the court's decision, women are one step closer to achieving equal rights. The meaning of the ruling is more than just letting those that cheat off the hook," she said.


"간통죄 폐지는 시대상 반영한 것"…일부 우려도

'국가개입 문제 아닌 당사자 해결사안' vs '배우자에 대한 책임감 퇴색'

간통죄에 대한 헌법재판소의 위헌 결정에 대해 전문가들과 시민사회단체는 대체로 인권을 존중한 정당한 판결이라고 입을 모았다.

이들은 간통죄 자체가 구시대의 산물이고 시대 변화에 따라 사문화돼 폐지되는 것이 올바른 수순이라고 봤다.

특히 개인의 성관계는 국가가 개입할 문제가 아니라 당사자간 풀어야 사안이라고 지적했다.

그러나 간통죄 폐지로 가정 보호나 배우자에 대한 책임감이라는 가치가 퇴색될 것이라는 일부 우려도 나왔다.

구정우 성균관대 사회학과 교수는 26일 헌재의 간통죄 위헌 결정은 '대립하는 두 가치인 성적 자기결정권과 가정보호 중 성적 자기결정권을 더 크게 고려했다'며 '보수주의 이념의 맥락에서 가족을 보호해야 한다는 사회적 요구에도 보편적 인권의 가치를 무시할 수 없다는 의미가 담긴 판결'이라고 평가했다.

간통죄의 유효기간이 지났다는 데에도 동의했다. 간통죄는 1905년 4월 20일 대한제국 법률 3호로 공포된 형법대전에까지 그 기원이 거슬러 올라간다.

송재룡 경희대 사회학과 교수는 '간통죄는 그동안 가부장적인 문화의 전통 속에 여성들이 상대적으로 불이익이나 상처를 받는 부분에 초점을 맞춘 것'이라며 '이제는 과거와 같이 가부장적 문화권 속에서 여성들이 일방적으로 손해 받고 불이익을 받는 시대는 지나갔다'고 진단했다.

김종갑 건국대 몸문화 연구소장은 '여성의 성해방 이전에는 여성은 (연애 등을) 즐길 권리가 없었지만 이제는 여성도 성적인 주체로 주장할 수 있는 시대이기 때문에 간통죄 폐지는 이런 시대 흐름을 반영한 것'이라고 말했다.

김정범 한양대 법학과 겸임교수는 '도덕이나 윤리를 전부 법으로 강제할 수는 없으며 간통죄가 처음 추구했던 목적을 전혀 달성하지 못하고 있으므로 폐지되는 게 맞다'며 '간통죄 형사처벌 수위가 굉장히 낮아졌고 실질적으로 범죄 예방 효과가 없다'며 간통죄가 사실상 사문화됐음을 지적했다.

결국 간통죄는 당사자 간 문제로 민사적으로 해결하는 것이 해법이라고 전문가들과 시민사회단체는 말하고 있다.

노진철 경북대 사회학과 교수는 '성인들이 서로 성관계 갖는 것은 국가가 개입할 일이 아니다'며 '국가가 간통을 범죄로 간주한다는 것은 문제가 많았다고 본다'고 말했다.

박근용 참여연대 협동사무처장 '간통죄는 부부 사이 계약의 파기 문제'라며 '상호 신뢰가 깨진 것을 국가가 형벌로 제재하는 것보다 민사적으로 책임을 묻는 것이 맞다'라고 말했다.

간통죄 폐지로 어느 정도의 혼란이 예상돼 상대적으로 남성의 외도가 많은 사회 현실을 반영해 대안이 필요하다는 의견도 있었다.

곽대경 동국대 경찰행정학과 교수는 '아직도 사회적 분위기와 국민 법 감정을 고려하면 충격은 있을 것이고 어느 정도 혼란도 있을 것'이라며 '간통죄 폐지 결정이 사회적 충격을 최소화하고 국민 개개인이 법 없이도 가정을 지켜낼 수 있도록 스스로 마음을 다잡을 수 있는 계기가 됐으면 한다'고 충고했다.

허성우 성공회대 교수는 '우리나라의 경우 기혼 남성의 외도율이 높은 상황에서 어떤 법적 조치를 통해 책임성을 물을 것인가 하는 민법적 조치가 보완돼야 할 것'이라고 제언했다.

간통죄 폐지에 부정적 입장인 최병록 서원대 법학과 교수는 '간통죄는 선량한 성도덕과 일부일처주의 혼인제도의 유지, 부부간 성적 성실의무의 수호와 함께 간통으로 인한 배우자·가족 유기, 이혼 등 사회적 해악을 사전에 막는 기능을 해왔다'며 '이런 긍정적 기능에도 폐지 결정이 내려져 안타깝다'고 말했다.

최 교수는 '더 큰 문제는 간통죄를 없애면서 이로 인해 수반될 수 있는 부작용에 대한 장치가 전혀 마련되지 않은 점'이라며 '배우자 불륜으로 인한 민사소송 시 위자료를 현행보다 몇 배 더 부과하는 등 대안이 필요하다'고 강조했다.

시민 사이에서도 위헌결정에 환영하는 분위기가 대체로 우세한 가운데 우려의 목소리도 나왔다.

주부 김송희(53)씨는 '간통죄가 폐지되면 간통을 저지르지 않는 사람이 가정을 지키기 위해 법적으로 대처할 방법이 없어질 것 같다'며 '가정을 보호하는 '저수지의 문'을 확 열어버리는 꼴이 되지 않을까'라고 우려했다.

교사 이규영(31)씨도 '혼인신고를 하면 법적으로 부부가 되니 당사자가 도덕적, 법적 책임을 지는 것은 당연한 것 아니냐'며 '하지만 위헌 결정으로 앞으로 혼인에 대한, 배우자에 대한 책임감이 가벼워질 것 같아 걱정된다'고 말했다.

주부 김모(55여)씨는 '간통죄가 있음으로 인해 개인의 일탈을 막고 도덕성을 지켜주는 측면이 있었다고 본다'며 '아무리 법적 실효성이 없어졌다고 해도 법적으로 죄가 되는 것과 단지 양심의 가책만 느끼고 끝나는 문제는 다르다'고 지적했다.

반면 회사원 박진용(45)씨는 '간통죄는 약자를 보호한다는 취지가 무색할 정도로 악용됐던 것 같다'며 '사적이고 감정적인 부분을 법의 잣대로 판단하기보다 당사자 간의 이해와 합의를 통해 풀어야 하는 문제'라며 위헌 결정을 반겼다.

회사원 김민수(29)씨도 '국민의 애정사에 형법이 관여한다는 건 적절치 않고, 간통죄가 없어진다고 불륜이 자유가 되는 건 아니라고 생각한다'며 '배우자 간의 결혼 파탄이나 정신적 피해는 위자료 등으로 배상하는 등 민사 쪽으로도 해결할 수 있을 것'이라고 말했다. (연합뉴스)
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