South Korean court recognises same-sex couple's rights

South Korean court recognises same-sex couple's rightsA South Korean court delivered a landmark ruling on Tuesday recognising the rights of a same-sex couple for the first time in the country.

by Agence France-Presse

21-02-2023 10:50

in LGBTQIA

Image from Twitter by Heezy Yang aka Hurricane Kimchi

A South Korean court delivered a landmark ruling on Tuesday recognising the rights of a same-sex couple for the first time, with activists hailing the verdict as a major victory for LGBTQ rights in the country.

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The case which will now go to the Supreme Court was brought by a gay couple, So Seong-wook and Kim Yong-min, who live together and held a wedding ceremony in 2019.

It had no legal validity, however, as South Korea does not recognise same-sex marriage.

In 2021, So sued the National Health Insurance Service because it terminated benefits for his partner whom he had registered as a dependent after discovering they were a gay couple.

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A lower court ruled in favour of the NHIS last year but in a significant turnaround, the High Court in Seoul overturned that decision on Tuesday, effectively ordering the insurance provider to resume benefits to So's partner as a dependent.

Today, we have our rights recognised within the legal system, So's partner Kim said after the ruling, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

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This represents a victory for everyone wishing for equality for same-sex couples.

The court did not give a detailed reasoning for its decision.

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The NHIS told AFP it will appeal.

Recognising same-sex couples' This ruling is significant as the first decision legally recognising same-sex couples to be made by a court at any level in South Korea , Jang Boram of Amnesty International said in a statement.

Though South Korea still has a long way to end discrimination this ruling offers hope that prejudice can be overcome .

While the country does not recognise same-sex marriages, gay relationships are not criminalised. LGBTQ people tend to live largely under the radar.

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Activists have long emphasised the need for legislation against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

A much-discussed anti-discrimination law has languished in the South Korean parliament for years, due to a lack of consensus among MPs.

Agence France-Presse

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