Recognition of same-sex unions in South Korea
South Korea recognizes neither same-sex marriage nor any other form of legal union for same-sex couples.
Legislation
In October 2014, a bill to legalize life partnerships was proposed by members of the Minjoo Party of Korea. Life partnerships would be open to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples. A couple will be able to receive tax benefits already given to married spouses as well as protection from domestic violence, in addition to other benefits.[1]
Political support
The Democratic Labour Party (Korean: 민주노동당), established in January 2000, is the third-largest political party in South Korea and has a political panel known as the Sexual Minorities Committee (Korean: 민주노동당 성소수자위원회) which advocates the recognition and political representation of sexual minorities. Their stated agenda includes a campaign against homophobia and discrimination based on sexual orientation, equal rights for sexual minorities (in their own words, "complete freedom, equality, and right of pursuit of happiness for homosexuals")[2] as well as the legalization of same-sex marriages.[2] On its campaign bid for the 2004 parliamentary elections, the Democratic Labour Party promised the abolition of all inequalities against sexual minorities and won a record 10 seats in the Kukhoe National Assembly.
On July 30, 2004, the Committee filed a formal complaint against the Incheon District Court's decision to refuse the recognition of same-sex marriages. The complaint was filed on the grounds that the decision is unconstitutional since neither the Constitution nor civil law define marriage as being between a man and a woman (the only mentioned requisite is age of majority) and that the Constitution explicitly forbids discrimination "pertaining to all political, economic, social, or cultural aspects of life of an individual." The Committee also claimed that refusal to recognize same-sex marriages constitutes discrimination based on sexual orientation and a refusal to provide equal protection under the law.[3]
In an interview held in September 2014 and later published in October, Mayor of Seoul Park Won-soon announced his support of same-sex marriage.[4] Saying he hopes South Korea becomes the first nation in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. A few days later, the City Government announced his words were misinterpreted and that Park's words were that maybe South Korea would become the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. This came after backslash as well as fierce hostility from the Catholic Church.[5]
Political opposition
On December 19, 2007, Lee Myung-bak of the conservative Grand National Party won the presidential election. In a 2007 newspaper interview, the president-elect stated that homosexuality is "abnormal", and that he opposed legal recognition of same-sex marriages.[6]
Public opinion
A May 2013 Ipsos poll found that 26% of respondents were in favour of same-sex marriage and another 31% supported other form of recognition for same-sex couples.[7]
A matchmaking website asked 616 people between 25 July 2015 to 1 August about their views on same-sex marriage. Nearly 70% of female respondents agreed that same-sex marriage is acceptable while 50.2% of men were against legalizing same-sex marriage. The majority of respondents who supported same-sex marriage said they did so because marriage was a personal choice (67.5%), 13.6% said sexual orientation was determined by nature and 12% said it would help end discrimination.[8][9]
See also
References
- ↑ (Korean) 연애 말고, 결혼 말고, 동반자!
- 1 2 (Korean) 한국정당사 첫 동성애 공식기구 떴다 : 정치 : 인터넷한겨레
- ↑ 블로그 :: 네이버
- ↑ "Seoul mayor Park Won-soon endorses same-sex marriage in first for South Korean politics". The Independent. 13 October 2014.
- ↑ "Seoul mayor backtracks on gay marriage". Gay Star News. 20 October 2014.
- ↑ South Korea: Right Wing Leader Condemns Homosexuality
- ↑ "Same-Sex Marriage". Ipsos. 7–21 May 2013.
- ↑ "South Korea women overwhelmingly support gay marriage, men not so much". Gay Star News. 6 August 2015.
- ↑ Unmarried Korean women overwhelmingly in support of same-sex marriage, 50% of unmarried men against
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