In 2018, more than 210,000 South Korean citizens signed a petition to their president demanding the cancellation of the “abominable” gay pride parade. Homosexuality was still described as perversion and obscenity, although it was declassified as “harmful and obscene” by the Youth Protection Committee in 2003.

According to a 2021 global survey by Ipsos, only 54% of the South Korean public supports same-sex marriage, and only 46% supports the right of same-sex couples to adopt. These percentages were considerably lower in the previous decade. Furthermore, a staggering 79.6% said they would not like to have homosexual neighbours, and 61.4% think homosexuality is “not justifiable”, according to the World Values Survey 2017-2020. These findings can be found summarised here by Equaldex.

The Pew Research Centre report states that overall the acceptance of the LGBTI community has increased in South Korea, translating to 79% of acceptance among groups of people aged between 18 to 29 years. Nonetheless, severe discrimination still exists against people part of the LGBTI community, especially in the military, as stated by the Human Rights Watch 2022 country report on South Korea.  

South Korean law prohibits discrimination based on sex, religion, or social status; yet it does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, or gender identity. According to the US State Department, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea repeatedly attempted to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, but these attempts were thwarted by conservative Christian political groups. Besides, the NHRCK does not have the power to enforce penalties for violence or discrimination against LGBTI, and its recommendations are non-binding, according to the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance.

A 2021 Human Rights Watch report highlighted the magnitude of bullying, harassment, and violence LGBTI students are facing in South Korean schools by other students and teachers alike. The comprehensive report relies on interviews with students who experienced isolation or were outed, sometimes even by the teachers they had asked for support. Transgender students faced further discrimination as there is no recognition of their gender identities.

Human Rights Watch raised concerns regarding the lack of inclusion of same-sex couples in South Korea’s definition of family, as this ‘narrow interpretation of family has sidelined many people from seeking welfare programs’ as well as the difficulty to access financial support. The lack of protection for same-sex marriage has led couples to still held symbolic weddings, even though they are not formally recognized unions. For the full report click here.

According to a report published by the UCLA Williams Institute, the ‘public discourse about the transgender population in South Korea grew dramatically at the beginning of the 21st century’ thanks to the visibility that they have been having and their possibility of legally changing their gender. However, discrimination is still highly suffered, especially in terms of adoption.