South Korea LGBT
| Status | Legal |
|---|---|
| Gender identity | allowed to change their legal sex |
| Military | All male citizens are conscripted into service and subject to military’s policies regarding homosexuality |
| Discrimination protections | None nationwide |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex marriage or relationship |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in South Korea against legal challenges & discrimination. Normally, Male and female same-sex sexual activity is legal, but marriage or other partnership varieties are not available in South Korea.
Homosexuality in South Korea is not specifically informed in neither the South Korean Constitution nor in the Civil Penal Code. Article 31 of the National Human Rights Commission Act states that “no individual is to be discriminated against on the basis of his or her sexual orientation”. However, there is punishment by a maximum of one year between same sex members in Article 92 of the Military Penal Code which is currently under a legal challenge. It called “sexual harassment”. Military court ruled this law is illegal in 2010 and They clarified that homosexuality is a strictly personal issue. However, this ruling was appealed to South Korea’s Constitutional Court, which in 2011 upheld the law’s constitutionality.
People are allowed to undergo sex reassignment surgery after the age of 20 in South Korea, and can change their gender information on official documents like ID cards, etc. Harisu is South Korea’s first transgender entertainer. Also, became the second person to legally change his gender in South Korea in 2002.
Although homosexuality is not assimilated by the public, Increased awareness of homosexuality and debate is increasing in the mass media with gay-themed entertainment. Well-known figures and celebrities, such as Hong Seok-cheon, are now open to the public today. However, gay and lesbian Koreans still face difficulties at home and at work. Many prefer not to show their identity to their families, friends or colleagues. However, due to the problems faced by LGBT South Koreans, the most of South Koreans have shown that they support laws to protect LGBT people rights from discrimination, including employment, and the other issues.
the Supreme Court ordered the Government to allow “Beyond the Rainbow” (Korean: 비온뒤무지개재단), an LGBT rights foundation, to register as a charity with the Ministry of Justice in August 2017. Without official registration, the foundation was unable to receive tax-deductible donations and operate in full compliance with the law. In addition the South Korean Government voted in favor of a 2014 United Nations resolution aimed at overcoming discrimination against LGBT people.
