South Korea blocks infidelity website in bid to protect 'sexual morality, family life'

South Korea has banned the newly launched Korean version of adultery hook-up website Ashley Madison.

The move by the country was taken to protect family values in a country where nuptial infidelity is a crime, and in order to 'protect sexual morality, marriage and family life'.

The Korean site of the Canada-based company's slogan: "Life is short. Have an affair" - went online in the middle of last month and garnered some 50,000 subscribers in its first week.

The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), a government-appointed body, said the website was an incitement to immorality.

According to News24, it added that in light of the legal spirit of relevant laws aimed to protect healthy sexual morals, marriage bonds and family life, the Commission decided to block the website which promotes adultery.

South Korea's infidelity law is not much of an impediment, and imprisonment usually results in a suspended sentence rather than actual jail time. As an offence, it can only be prosecuted on complaint, and any case is closed as soon as the plaintiff drops the charge.

South Korea is the second Asian country to block Ashley Madison after Singapore, which barred access in November for similar reasons.