Korean man convicted in first marital rape case (against Filippino wife)

BUSAN, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- A local court on Friday convicted a Korean man of raping his wife in the first such case in the nation's legal history.

The Busan District Court sentenced the 42-year-old man, identified only by the first initial of his surname "L," to a 30-month prison term suspended for three years on charges of forcibly having sex with his Philippino wife at knifepoint.

In 2004, a district court found a Seoul man guilty of sexually assaulting his wife. But this latest unprecedented ruling marks the nation's first judicial conviction of a man on marital rape charges.

"The defendant should have treated his wife with affection, because she has difficulties in speaking Korean and feels lonely in this remote foreign country. His behavior cannot be acceptable as he threatened his wife with a gas gun and knife to have sex against her will," the Busan court said in its verdict.

The man was also accused of forcing his 25-year-old wife to have sex even during her menstrual period. He married his Philippine wife in 2006 through an international marriage broker in Korea and was indicted last year on charges of rape.

The court said it suspended his sentence for three years as he expressed remorse for his misconduct. It also noted the victim was held responsible for failing to make efforts to communicate with her husband and to adjust to Korean culture.

brk@yna.co.kr

Blogger's comments:
The victim is responsible for failing to make efforts to communicate with her husband? And for failure to adjust to Korean culture?

What situation could you imagine where a wife could even attempt to communicate with a man who 1) believes he owns her as a commodity, 2) demands sex from her at knifepoint against her will?

There are several things wrong with this picture. The thought that it is okay to "buy" someone's dignity and freedom because your country has a higher GDP than the other's country is disgusting. And for the judges in Korea to fault the woman for failure "to adjust to Korean culture" is not being able to notice the huge plank in their own eyes. Maybe if Korea came out of its still backward patriarchal worldview and belief that it is better than everyone else (except white people), other nationalities and races would have an easier time adjusting. And do Koreans adjust to other cultures well when they are abroad? Never! They do everything they can to retain their tradition until it painfully fades with each younger generation.