SKorea to rule new adultery law

South Korea's Constitutional court is set to rule on an adultery law, which punishes cheating spouses with a sentence of up to two years in prison.

Introduced in 1953 as a way to maintain social order, about 100,000 people have been convicted for violating the law, local media said.

Opinion polls suggest many Koreans today feel infidelity should not be a criminal act.

The law has previously been reviewed four times by the court and upheld.

Critics argue that the law is outdated and the state should not be involved in people's private lives. But some in South Korea defend the law saying its loss would encourage sexual depravity.

The court decided in 1990, 1993, 2001 and 2008 not to repeal the law.

However, in the 2008 ruling five of the judges deemed the law to be unconstitutional, saying that adultery could be condemned on moral grounds but not as a criminal act.

The support of six judges on the nine-judge panel is needed to strike it down.