One day, despite Oh Wan-soo’s refusal, Kim Yong-guk forcefully attempts to kiss her. Does being married mean physical contact or a kiss can always be initiated without consent?
According to the broadcasting industry on Sep 19th, in this drama, Kim Yong-guk views his wife Oh Wan-soo as his possession and tries to kiss her forcefully. However, it was the bodyguard Seo Do-yoon (played by Rain), who was nearby, that intervened.
Oh Wan-soo, who has married into a chaebol family, is in a position where she cannot divorce Kim Yong-guk even though she dislikes him. Knowing this, Kim Yong-guk behaves recklessly.
If something like this were to happen in real life, would it be acceptable for spouses to engage in forced physical contact? The answer is no.
Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault, even within a marriage. However, when applying sexual assault charges between spouses, stricter judgment may be needed compared to incidents involving strangers. Since a couple is in a close relationship, the clarity of the victim’s refusal becomes critical.
In marital relationships, merely having physical contact does not immediately constitute sexual assault. The focus is on whether one party clearly expressed their refusal, and if the other still proceeded with forced physical contact.
In the past, it was difficult for such crimes to be recognized in court.
However, in August 2004, for the first time, the court convicted a husband who had sexually assaulted his wife and forced unwanted sexual relations. This case established that sexual assault could occur even between spouses.
In the case, husband A immobilized his wife B’s hands and sexually assaulted her. When B demanded a divorce, A acted out of anger.
The court in the first trial ruled that sexual assault between spouses is possible, convicting A.
The ruling emphasized that even in a normal marital relationship, physical contact must respect the partner’s consent, upholding the principle of sexual autonomy.
Meanwhile, despite initial criticism for being outdated and cliché, “Red Swan” gained support among women in their 30s and 40s as the series progressed, ending with great popularity.
Source: Wikitree
