Constitutional Court upholds controversial adultery law

(ATTN: ADDS background; UPDATES throughout)
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean Constitutional Court ruled Thursday
in favor of the country's 55-year-old adultery law that punishes extramarital
affairs.
The ruling is the fourth time in the country's history that the court has backed
the law, under which nearly 1,200 people are indicted each year and sentenced up
to two years in prison.
The decision by the nine-member panel came nearly nine months after a star
actress and former wife of a popular entertainer filed a complaint that the law
violates the Constitution.
Ok So-ri, who divorced Park Chul last month after a nasty court battle, had filed
the case after admitting to an extramarital affair with an Italian chef but took
issue with the law regarding her punishment.
The high-profile scandal has developed into a fresh controversy over the law,
which supporters say serves as a shield against sexual misconduct and infidelity,
while opponents dismiss as an anachronism in a country with an increasing divorce
rate.
About 1,200 people have been indicted annually on charges of adultery in the last
three years, with only a tiny portion of them actually being put behind bars.