Korean man convicted in first marital rape case

BUSAN, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- A local court on Friday convicted a Korean man of
raping his wife in the first such case in the nation's legal history.
The Busan District Court sentenced the 42-year-old man, identified only by the
first initial of his surname "L," to a 30-month prison term suspended for three
years on charges of forcibly having sex with his Philippino wife at knifepoint.
In 2004, a district court found a Seoul man guilty of sexually assaulting his
wife. But this latest unprecedented ruling marks the nation's first judicial
conviction of a man on marital rape charges.
"The defendant should have treated his wife with affection, because she has
difficulties in speaking Korean and feels lonely in this remote foreign country.
His behavior cannot be acceptable as he threatened his wife with a gas gun and
knife to have sex against her will," the Busan court said in its verdict.
The man was also accused of forcing his 25-year-old wife to have sex even during
her menstrual period. He married his Philippine wife in 2006 through an
international marriage broker in Korea and was indicted last year on charges of
rape.
The court said it suspended his sentence for three years as he expressed remorse
for his misconduct. It also noted the victim was held responsible for failing to
make efforts to communicate with her husband and to adjust to Korean culture.
brk@yna.co.kr
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