The History of Family Law and Feminist Movements in Korea

The Korean Civil Code came into force in 1960 and since then it has received fourteen amendments. Amid these, seven amendments were directed to Family Law. These seven amendments have been mostly dedicated to the eradication of patriarchal elements and gender discriminating articles. The driving force behind these changes has been the Korean feminist movement, which has played major role in shaping the modern Korean society since the country's independence. This paper outlines the history of the Korean Family Law and covers the changes that were introduced by the amendments. It focuses, primarily, on the developments that have led to a change of status for the Korean women before the law and, subsequently, on the historic background against which the feminist movement arose, describing the events and victories that were achieved as the movement gained strength within Korean society. Finally, the relation between the feminist movement and the changes within Korean Family Law are analyzed