ID :
156836
Wed, 01/12/2011 - 09:09
Auther :

S. Korea to lower legal adult age to 19

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean legislature is expected to pass a
bill next month that would lower the legal adult age from the current 20 to 19 to
reflect rapid social changes and global trends, parliamentary and judicial
officials said Wednesday.
The bill, set to become effective as of July 1, 2013, will allow Koreans to
engage in legally binding activities without parental consent when they reach 19
years of age.
The revision to the civil law passed the parliamentary legislation and judiciary
committee last month, the officials said.
Lawmakers and the Justice Ministry had submitted six similar bills on lowering
the adult age since 2008, and the one that passed the committee is a
comprehensive compromise, they said.
The changes aim to take into account the global trend of lowering the minimum
adult age as adolescents grow increasingly mature both physically and mentally,
officials said.
In South Korea, the legal voting age is 19 under election law.
sshim@yna.co.kr

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