'Marriage Ban Within 8th Degree Relatives' Deemed Appropriate by 3 out of 4 Citizens... Ministry of Justice Conducts Public Survey of 1,300 People

"Prohibition of Consanguineous Marriage Is Not a Restriction on Freedom to Marry," 74% Respond
Ministry of Justice: "Preparing a Government Proposal That the Public Can Sympathize With"

Three out of four citizens believe that prohibiting marriage within the eighth degree of kinship is appropriate.

The Ministry of Justice announced on the 11th that, according to a public opinion survey conducted via telephone interviews with 1,300 adult men and women nationwide from November 28 to December 6 last year, 75% of respondents chose "within the eighth degree of kinship, as is currently" as the appropriate range for prohibiting consanguineous marriage.

Responses indicating that "within the sixth degree" is appropriate accounted for 15%, and those saying "within the fourth degree" accounted for 5%. Regarding whether the prohibition of consanguineous marriage restricts freedom of marriage, 74% responded that it does not, while 24% said it does.

The Ministry of Justice is currently conducting expert research and other tasks to revise the law. The Ministry stated, "We plan to listen carefully to opinions from various sectors and reflect them to prepare a government proposal that the public can agree with."

The Constitutional Court ruled in October 2022 that the Civil Code provision declaring marriages between blood relatives within the eighth degree of kinship invalid is unconstitutional and ordered the law to be revised by the end of this year. However, the Court deemed the Civil Code provision prohibiting marriage within the eighth degree of kinship to be constitutional.