"I was sued 11 times.".. Unfaithful partners' victims become 'criminals' [New Story]

*This content was translated by AI.

SBS 'New Story' examines the paradoxical reality and remaining challenges 11 years after the abolition of the adultery crime.

In the SBS current affairs and documentary program 'New Story' airing on the 23rd, the program will explore what balance point our society should find between the freedom of private life and the protection of unfaithful partners' victims.

Ms. Choi Mi-jin (pseudonym) was living an ordinary newlywed life. One day, her husband suddenly demanded a divorce. Afterward, Ms. Choi witnessed her husband's affair in person. However, fearing that revealing the affair would cause the other party to destroy the evidence, she suppressed her anger and collected evidence of her husband's infidelity for two months. Using the evidence she gathered, Ms. Choi won both the divorce lawsuit against her husband and the lawsuit against the woman who had an affair with him.

However, a few months later, an unexpected event occurred. Her husband and the woman who had an affair with him actually filed a criminal complaint against Ms. Choi on charges such as unlawful entry and illegal filming.

Ms. Choi was suddenly turned into a suspect and had to engage in another legal battle. Once a victim of her husband's infidelity, Ms. Choi is now being investigated as a suspect, enduring daily life under unknown pain and pressure that may never end.

Mr. Kim Sung-tae (pseudonym), who divorced last year due to his wife's infidelity, was also filed against by his former spouse and the man who had an affair with her for a total of 11 criminal complaints. He is undergoing investigation and suffering mental anguish. Actions such as checking his ex-spouse's phone and emails to prove her infidelity, and things done in a fit of anger, all came back as criminal charges.

According to the production team, there are many cases where people have been criminally punished for installing location trackers or recording phone conversations to secure evidence of infidelity. Because of this, many unfaithful partners' victims visit detective agencies or private investigators, but if the evidence is collected illegally, not only the agency but also the client can face criminal punishment. The pain of victims collecting evidence of infidelity on the precarious line between legality and illegality is intensifying.

In 2015, the Constitutional Court's ruling of unconstitutionality led to the abolition of the adultery crime, making infidelity cases subject to civil litigation. Since then, the collection of evidence to prove infidelity has become entirely the responsibility of the victim.

Even if they win the lawsuit, the compensation for mental anguish usually ranges from 10 million won to 30 million won, which fails to provide substantial compensation to the victim, posing a problem. This is why there are criticisms that for the parties involved in the affair, it is perceived as 'just pay a few million won and it's over,' and the punitive function is not working properly. This is also due to the lack of sufficient supplementary legislation for victim protection at the time of the abolition of the adultery crime.

SBS 'New Story' will air at 8 a.m. on the 23rd.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.