--- description: South Korea has blocked a newly launched global adultery hook-up site in the country, calling it an incitement to immorality title: South Korea Bans ‘Immoral’ Hook-Up Website Ashley Madison image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2eff600317ddae60/69868ad4adae44348f54293f/skorea_monogamy_0416.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # South Korea Bans 'Immoral' Hook-Up Website Ashley Madison by [Arshiya Khullar](/author/arshiya-khullar/) ## Arshiya Khullar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 16, 2014 9:06 AM CUT  A couple walks while holding hands under a bridge in central Seoul A couple walks while holding hands under a bridge in central SeoulLee Jae-Won—Reuters by [Arshiya Khullar](/author/arshiya-khullar/) ## Arshiya Khullar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 16, 2014 9:06 AM CUT The South Korean version of the global hook-up site Ashley Madison has been [blocked](http://news.yahoo.com/south-korea-blocks-ashley-madison-adultery-website-014747275.html "undefined") by the Seoul government, which accuses its operators of inciting adultery in a country where marital infidelity is a criminal offense. The Canada-based company was launched in South Korea last month. It became an instant hit, reaching close to 50,000 subscribers in the first week, reports Agence France-Presse. But the Korean Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) said in a statement that the website was blocked in “the light of the legal spirit of relevant laws aimed to protect healthy sexual morals, marriage bonds and family life.” South Korea is the second country to block the popular website after Singapore. By contrast, the Japanese appear to have enthusiastically embraced its slogan: “Life is short. Have an affair.” Ashley Madison ended up [setting a record in Japan](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/adultery-site-big-japan-where-marriage-reigns "undefined") after reaching a million users within eight and a half months. According to South Korea’s adultery laws, a spouse found engaged in marital infidelity is liable to serve a prison sentence of up to two years. However, very few end up serving jail time; most are let off with a suspended sentence. In 2008, only 42 people were given prison sentences — a significant drop from 216 in 2004. Ashley Madison CEO Noel Biderman called the South Korean law “hopelessly outdated.” He maintains that his website simply promotes an activity that is universal and crosses all social and geographical boundaries. \[[_AFP_](http://news.yahoo.com/south-korea-blocks-ashley-madison-adultery-website-014747275.html "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/64583/south-korea-bans-immoral-hook-up-website-ashley-madison/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/64583/south-korea-bans-immoral-hook-up-website-ashley-madison/"},"headline":"South Korea Bans 'Immoral' Hook-Up Website Ashley Madison","datePublished":"2014-04-16T09:06:45.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:19:44.425Z","description":"Authorities in Seoul have blocked a global adultery hook-up site, Ashley Madison, calling it an incitement to immorality in a nation where marital infidelity is punishable by jail. 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