Petition to implement 'Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act' reaches the National Assembly after 50,000 signatures in one week

A petition calling for the "Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act" has gained significant traction in South Korea, with over 51,000 signatures in just one week. The proposed law aims to strengthen protections for minors by raising the age of consent from 16 to 19 and increasing penalties for crimes involving minors.

The petition was formed after the recent controversy involving actor Kim Soo Hyun and the late actress Kim Sae Ron. People were outraged when claims surfaced suggesting the two may have had a relationship while she was still a teenager. Although Kim Soo Hyun has firmly denied any involvement with her during her minor years, the situation struck a nerve across the country, sparking a larger conversation about just how unprotected teens really are under South Korea¡¯s current laws.

The Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act achieves its goal in just a week

More than 51,000 people have now signed a petition supporting the "Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act". The petition, which was posted on the official National Assembly website, quickly reached the 50,000-signature mark ¡ª the number needed for it to be formally reviewed. Now that it¡¯s crossed that line, a committee will take a closer look and decide whether it moves forward for full discussion in a plenary session.

A petition on the National Assembly Electronic Petition so-called posted on 31 March reached 51,083 signs, meaning this matter will be transferred to the relevant National Assembly committee.

The petitioner argued that the statutory rape of minors¡­ pic.twitter.com/3zmo4qHPO5

¡ª KoreanUpdates! (@KoreanUpdates) April 7, 2025

What does the Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act aim to change?

South Korean law considers individuals aged 16 to 18 outside the scope of statutory protection in many cases. The petitioner, identified as Mr A, echoing public sentiment, emphasised that this legal loophole leaves many teenagers vulnerable and unprotected.

The petitioner said, "Recently, the grooming sex crime committed by Hallyu star Kim Soo Hyun against child actress Kim Sae Ron¡ªwho was a minor at the time¡ªhas come to light, enraging the public,¡± and added, ¡°Unfortunately, statutory rape laws currently only protect children aged 13 to under 16, which means Kim Soo Hyun cannot be legally punished.¡±

He added, ¡°South Korean law clearly defines minors as those under 18, yet the statutory rape law only protects those aged 13 to under 16, allowing paedophiles to escape legal consequences.¡± They called for the law to be revised under the name ¡°Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act¡± to prevent such incidents from recurring.

The petitioner criticised this limitation, saying, ¡°South Korean law clearly defines minors as those under 18, yet the statutory rape law only protects those aged 13 to under 16, allowing paedophiles to escape legal consequences.¡± They call the for the

The proposed "Kim Soo Hyun Prevention Act" outlines two key changes:

Raising the protected age bracket: The law would expand the current statutory rape protections from ages 13¨C15 to 13¨C18.

Stricter penalties: It calls for a minimum of 2 years in prison for molestation and a minimum of 5 years for rape involving minors. Currently, molestation can result in fines, and rape carries a minimum 2-year sentence.

Meanwhile, Kim Soo Hyun, at his March 31 conference, stated, I did not have a relationship with the deceased (Kim Sae Ron) while she was a minor.¡±

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