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South Korean couples that are seeking divorces are heading to the US town of Reno in order to dissolve their marriage according to recent reports. Couples that wish to end their marriages in South Korea must first attend various classes, meet with a court-appointed marriage counsellor and observe a three-month ‘cooling-off’ period before the courts will grant them a divorce and the process can take up to 12 months as a result. In Nevada (the state in which Reno is located), however, divorces can be finalised in a matter of days and an individual needs to have resided in the state for just six weeks before they are legally allowed to submit an application for a divorce to their courts. Unsurprisingly, Korean legal professionals are questioning the actions of these individuals, particularly as the measures that have been put in place have been designed to prevent couples from frivolously ending their marriages. By effectively crossing jurisdictions, individuals could also potentially land themselves in hot water when they return home. For example, adultery is illegal in South Korea and a spouse that commits an act of infidelity is unable to file for a divorce as a result. Should such an individual obtain a divorce abroad and then return to South Korea, the divorce that they have obtained will be nullified and they could also, potentially, face further charges. Perhaps the stringent rules in place in South Korea are actually significantly less helpful than the government imagined they would be or, perhaps, the people that are bending the rules in this way are simply being impatient? What do you think? Let us know by leaving a comment.