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The age of consent is 16 years old (using international age reckoning), regardless of gender or sexual orientation. This applies to consensual sexual activity, and the law was amended in 2020 to raise it from the previous age of 13.Sexual activity with anyone under 13 is considered statutory rape under all circumstances.
For those aged 13–15, sexual activity is illegal if the other party is 19 or older (a close-in-age exemption applies if both parties are under 19).
Note that South Korea uses a traditional "Korean age" system in everyday life (where people are considered 1 year old at birth and age up on January 1), which can lead to confusion in reporting. However, laws use international age. Some outdated or misinterpreted sources claim higher ages (e.g., 19 or 20) due to this or conflation with marriage laws (marriage requires parental consent under 18 for males and 16 for females, or 19 without consent).