A cheating husband cannot divorce his wife despite having a years-long affair, a South Korean court ruled Friday, insisting only the injured party in a marriage could initiate a legal separation. But Hong’s wife, whom he wed in 1985, refused to play along — leading to a drawn-out legal battle that has lasted for years. Seoul Family Court on Friday dismissed Hong’s petition and awarded costs against him. South Korea remains a conservative society, where until 2015, anyone indulging in extramarital sex risked a two-year prison sentence. In 2015, when the country’s highest court reaffirmed that only the injured party could initiate a divorce, it said: “gender equality had some way to go”.

Source: Punch June 14, 2019 09:45 UTC