As the number of sexual assault allegations continues to rise across South Korea, a controversial new app designed to facilitate the creation of consent agreements before sexual encounters have sparked significant attention.
Seoul Shinmun has highlighted the emergence of this app, which allows users to draft consent agreements before engaging in sexual activity. The app aims to provide documented evidence of mutual consent, potentially preventing future legal disputes or misunderstandings.
Launched in July, the Sexual Consent App has already garnered over 1,000 downloads in just three months. Marketed as the first consent service in South Korea to be reviewed and vetted by legal professionals, the app seeks to help individuals navigate consent in a way that could protect both parties legally.
The app’s developers assure users that robust security and confidentiality measures are in place. The app also features in-app connections to legal consultations with licensed professionals.
However, the app has raised concerns about the potential for coercion and misuse, especially when consent may not be freely given.
Attorney Kim Ho Pyeong provided legal counsel for the app’s development and explained that the initiative was created in response to growing trust issues between men and women in society.
Kim further clarified that the app’s primary goal is to document the agreement between both parties, reducing anxiety and providing peace of mind for both individuals involved.
Advocates argue that the app could help alleviate fears of false accusations of forced sexual relations and could even serve as a tool for women to assert claims of shared responsibility in the event of pregnancy.
Some see the app’s emergence as a direct response to the growing number of false accusations related to sexual crimes. According to statistics from the South Korean police, the number of false accusations has increased in recent years, though comprehensive data explicitly addressing sexual assault claims is limited. In 2023 alone, police statistics show that the number of reported false claims in general rose by more than 30% compared to 2017.
While legal experts emphasize that data on false sexual assault accusations is not always broken out separately, many believe these cases have contributed significantly to the overall rise in false accusations.
Despite the app’s well-meaning intentions, questions remain about the legal validity of consent agreements created through the platform. Critics have raised concerns that these agreements could be coerced or manipulated in certain situations, potentially undermining the app’s effectiveness and leading to misuse.
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