An online petition, known as the “Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Act,” has been filed with South Korea’s National Assembly National Petition website aiming to raise the applicable age for the crime of statutory rape of minors.
Kim Soo-hyun has been embroiled in controversy, facing accusations that he dated the late actress Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor.
In a press conference last March 31, Kim Soo-hyun broke down in tears as he denied that had a relationship with Kim Sae-ron when she was a minor. He said he dated her from 2019 to 2020 after she became an adult.
Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron (Screenshots from HoverLab videos on YouTube)
This is contrary to the claims of YouTube channel HoverLab (Garosero Research Institute) and Kim Sae-ron’s family that the two stars dated from 2015 to 2021 when the actress was a minor.
Kim Sae-ron was found dead in South Korea on Feb. 16, Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday.
The petition, also known as the “Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Act,” was filed on March 31 and has received 53,444 signatures as of this writing.
“It is requested that the applicable age for the crime of statutory rape of minors, which currently only protects children aged 13 to 16, be raised to 13 to 19 years old and that the punishment be strengthened,” according to the petition’s purpose.
Under the rules, a petition that has reached 50,000 signatures will be discussed in the National Assembly Standing Committee.
The petitioner A stated in the petition, "Recently, the grooming sex crime committed by Hallyu star ○○○ against child actor ○○○, who was a minor at the time, was revealed, angering the entire nation. However, unfortunately, the crime of statutory rape of a minor only protects children between the ages of 13 and 16, so in reality, ○○○ cannot be legally punished."
It seeks to change the Korean law as follows: “1. The age limit for the current statutory rape of a minor will be raised from 13 to 16 years of age to 13 to 19 years of age. 2. The penalty for the current statutory rape of a minor will be changed from two years or more in prison for rape with a fine to two years or more in prison for assault and five years or more in prison for rape.”
Korean media outlet Kukmin Ilbo reported that although the real names mentioned by the petitioner have been covered up, based on the content of the petition, it is presumed to refer to the recent controversial cases of actors Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron.
The National Assembly Petition is a system that refers a bill to the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly for deliberation if it receives the consent of 50,000 people within 30 days, the new report added.
Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron’s family have engaged in a war of words. The family, through the HoverLab YouTube channel, claimed that Kim Sae-ron dated Kim Soo-hyun from Nov. 19, 2015 when she was 15 to July 7, 2021.
Kim Soo-hyun is preparing to file a 12-billion won (about $8.1 million) lawsuit for damages against Kim Sae-ron’s family, the “aunt,” and HoverLab.