Lawmakers of the ruling Uri Party plan to submit a revision bill on domestic violence to punish marital rape, party officials said Monday. The bill will include sexual violence between husbands and wives under the definition of domestic violence, they said.

If the bill is passed, those who commit rape or indecent assault against their spouses could be subject to court punishment.

The bill also allows judicial police officers on site to give eviction or restricted access orders to offenders for 48 hours, to protect the victims' human rights, the officials said.

Reps. Choi Jae-cheon, Hong Mi-young and Lee Eun-young of the party made the decision during a meeting with members of civic groups, including the Korea Women's Hotline.

Hong will submit the bill to the National Assembly within this month. The bill will likely pass a plenary session of the Assembly scheduled for June, according to party officials.

Marital rape had not been officially recognized in the nation until last August.

In 1970, the Supreme Court ruled ``rape does not exist between married couples as they agree on sexual intercourse through marriage.''

Thirty-four years after the ruling, however, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced a 46-year-old who battered and raped his wife to two years and six months in prison with a three-year suspended sentence last August.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and civic activists have since sought to legislate a relevant bill to define marital rape.

The criminal code stipulates those who rape women by means of violence or threat should be punished with three years imprisonment or more.

Source - The Korea Times
By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter