Thousands sign petition to raise South Korea's age of consent after Kim Soo-hyun dating scandal

By Phan Anh April 3, 2025 | 04:58 pm PT

South Korean Kim Soo-hyun at a press conference in Seoul on March 31, 2025. Photo by Reuters

Thousands in South Korea have signed a petition calling on lawmakers to raise the age of consent from 16 to 19, following a scandal involving actor Kim Soo-hyun and late actress Kim Sae-ron.

The petition, titled the "Kim Soo-hyun Prevention Act," appeared earlier this week on the National Assembly's official online platform, calling for stricter laws and harsher penalties related to statutory rape, The Straits Times reported.

As of April 3, the petition had collected over 40,500 signatures, approaching the threshold of 50,000 required for formal legislative consideration, the SCMP reported.

The push for legal reform comes after allegations surfaced in March linking Kim Soo-hyun, 37, with actress Kim Sae-ron, who reportedly began dating him when she was 15. The claims were revealed following a video posted by YouTube channel Garo Sero Institute, featuring a woman identifying herself as Kim Sae-ron's aunt.

Although Kim Soo-hyun has denied the allegations, the scandal significantly affected his public image, causing him to lose major endorsements, including a prominent deal with Italian luxury brand Prada, as well as a notable drop in social media followers.

Kim Soo-hyun is internationally recognized and is among South Korea’s highest-paid actors, with notable roles in popular dramas such as "My Love from the Star," "It’s Okay to Not Be Okay" and "Queen of Tears."