'Sexual Consent Service Reviewed by Lawyers' Promotion
"To Solve Difficult Trust Issues Between Parties"
Possibility of Coercive Consent... Legal Effectiveness Uncertain
A so-called 'sexual consent application (app)' created with the purpose of leaving a record of prior consent to sexual intercourse in order to prevent legal disputes has been introduced to the world.
According to a report by Seoul Shinmun on the 11th, as reports of sexual assault cases between men and women have increased, an app that allows users to create a consent form before engaging in sexual activity has emerged. The intention is to leave evidence of mutual agreement in advance to preemptively block potential legal disputes.
The 'sexual consent app,' launched in July, has been downloaded over 1,000 times in three months. Kim Ho-pyeong, the lawyer who developed the app and provided legal consultation, explained, "It started as an effort to resolve the social problem of growing distrust between people regardless of gender," adding, "It is meant to leave a document agreed upon by the parties involved so that neither side feels anxious." In fact, the app is promoted as "the first sexual consent service in Korea to be reviewed by a lawyer."
However, it is unclear whether the consent forms created through the app hold clear legal validity. Some have raised concerns that consent could be coerced, leading to potential misuse. There is also the possibility of legal disputes if one party claims that although consent was given beforehand, they did not consent immediately before the act.
Meanwhile, in Japan, a similar sexual consent app called 'Kiroku' was developed last August with a similar purpose. However, 'Kiroku' faced criticism that "users could be forced to press the consent button," which delayed its release for several months.
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