South Korea's Supreme Court grants more rights to same-sex couples
In the eastern Asian country, same-sex couples could not marry until now, and there was no registered domestic partnership either.
The judgment of the Supreme Court goes back to a lawsuit by a gay couple: Soong Wook and Kim Yong Min had given each other the "yes" word in a legally non-binding ceremony in 2019. In 2021, Soong sued the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), as they had recognized his partner as a dependent, after it was discovered that they were a same-sex couple.
A court in Seoul ruled in their favor last year. However, the insurance went into appeal and the case ended up before the Supreme Court of South Korea. After the final judgment, which cannot be appealed anymore, gay and lesbian couples can now register their partners as dependents.
When the judgment was read out, the plaintiffs and activists broke into cheers. "Love has won today," So said after the judgment was read out. His lawyer Chang Suh Yeon said, "This judgment gives hope to same-sex couples in South Korea, but it is not enough. Granting basic rights to same-sex couples is 'not full equality' and we will continue to fight for the introduction of same-sex marriage."
The Supreme Court of South Korea ruled in favor of Soong Wook and Kim Yong Min, a same-sex couple, allowing them to register their partnership as dependents. Prior to this, Kim Yong, a Supreme Court justice's partner, could not be recognized as such due to South Korea's lack of same-sex marriage or domestic partnership rights. The victory in court signified a significant step towards equal rights for LGBTQ+ individuals in South Korea.
