A Comparative Study of Child Pornography Laws in the Republic of Korea and in Thailand against the Background of International Legal Frameworks

Abstract

Child pornography is almost universally condemned as a form of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Consequently, child pornography is prohibited in many countries. In response to the pervasiveness of child pornography, the United Nations and the Council of Europe have adopted international legal frameworks to criminalize the production, distribution, and possession of child pornographic materials. At present, both the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Thailand have their own criminal laws against child pornography. The purpose of this article is to present a comparative analysis of the child pornography laws in these two Asian nations against the background of these international legal frameworks to evaluate the extent to which the Korean and Thai child pornography laws are in line with them.