Gay marriage south korea

Landmark ruling in February bolstered hopes of expansion of legal rights for gay couples, but hurdles remain. A ruling last month by a high court in Seoul has resurrected the debate on same-sex marriages, which, unlike in many other countries, is a topic rarely-discussed in South Korea.

The court stated, however, that the partnership of the couple -- So Sung-uk and Kim Yong-min -- would not be legally recognized as a common-law marriage under the current Korean legal system. While the ruling marked a step forward in the legal protection of people in same-sex partnerships, especially in terms of social safety nets, it is unclear how far it will progress the overall debate on same-sex unions, or if it the movement as a whole can maintain its momentum.

The ruling has already been challenged by Korea's National Health Insurance Service, which filed an appeal on March 6. Although homosexuality itself is seen as falling within the scope of the constitutional right to pursue one's happiness in the Korean legal system, homosexual marriage is not, says Lee Jong-geun, president of Kyungsung University, formerly a professor of law at Donga University.

South Korea: Supreme Court ruling a historic victory for same-sex couples

The history of the dispute concerning the legal status of same-sex couples in Korea dates back towhen a gay couple requested a division of assets, having separated after 20 years of being together. Despite the couple claiming to be in a state of de facto marriage, a concept similar to common-law marriage which recognizes the same legal rights as a spouse, the court ruled that a partnership between two people of same gender cannot be considered the same as a de facto marriage.

A decade later, film director Kim-Jho Gwang-soo made headlines with his ultimately unsuccessful two-year long battle to register his homosexual partnership as a common-law marriage. Although the South Korean government does not process the marriage registration application of same-sex couples, Supreme Court data shows that 28 homosexual couples applied to register their marriages from March of to February of this year.

Acknowledging the limits of the current legal system, the National Human Rights Commission in April made a recommendation to the parliamentary speaker to revise the law gay marriage south korea accommodate the changing form of families, including those comprised of sexual minorities.

There have been some legislative initiatives aimed at granting legal rights to gay couples. Jin Sun-mi of the main opposition Democratic Party. Their assertion stems from the recognition that there is insufficient national support for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

According to a Gallup International survey on individuals aged in 63 countries across the world, 55 percent of South Korean respondents were opposed to same-sex marriage, compared to the global average of 44 percent. Despite the concept of homosexual unions not being widely supported here, some legislators and legal experts stress that same-sex couples do live among Koreans today and that fact needs to be reflected in the current legal system.

Jang Hye-young of the minor opposition Justice Party, held at the National Assembly earlier this month. The Justice Party is currently pushing for the enactment of bills on the life companionship, the legalization of same-sex marriages and on supporting births outside of marriage.

The path for the enactment of such bills will likely be an uphill battle. Where does Korea stand on same-sex marriage? Published : March 20, - Link copied! This file photo shows Seoul Queer Culture Festival in Drone operations command raided in Yoon's martial law probe.