韩国取消通奸禁令

A South Korean court has struck down a controversial, decades-old law that bans extra-marital sex.

The Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled by a vote of seven to two against the adultery ban, which was enacted in 1953.

"Even if adultery should be condemned as immoral, state power should not intervene in individual private lives," said presiding justice Park Han-Chul.

More than 5,400 people have been indicted on adultery charges in the past six years, according to official figures, though jail terms were rarely given out under the law.

The adultery ban initially was seen as an attempt to promote gender equality, since married women had few other rights. But the law became increasingly unpopular as South Korean culture rapidly modernized in recent decades.

韩国宪法法院星期四进行投票，以七票对两票的表决结果废除了通奸法。该法律是1953年颁行的。

首席法官朴翰哲说：“即使通奸行为应该受到道义谴责，国家权力也不应干预个人的私生活。”

韩国官方公布的数字显示，在以往六年期间，5400多人被控犯有通奸罪，不过极少依法判刑。

颁布通奸禁令的目的是倡导性别平等，因为当时的韩国已婚女子几乎没有其他权利。近几十年来，随着韩国文化迅速现代化，反对这项法律的呼声日益增高。