"The adultery law ... has degenerated into a means of revenge by the spouse, rather than a means of saving a marriage," the petition said

South Korea passed the adultery law in 1953 to protect women.

In its male-dominated society, women had little recourse against a husband who had an affair. Back then if a wife walked out of a marriage, she would often end up alone and penniless

Today, it is rare for people to be jailed but that has not stopped several thousand angry spouses from filing criminal complaints each year

Referring to the current divorce law, the petition said: "There has been no evidence of its contribution to protecting women, and its validity is questionable with the elevation of women's social and economic status."