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Kim Yong-min shed tears of joy on Thursday (July 18) after South Korea’s supreme court upheld a ruling that same-sex partners were eligible for spousal benefits.
The move has been hailed as a win for LGBTQ rights in a country that has lagged behind others in the region.
The court confirmed Seoul High Court’s earlier landmark decision that state health insurance should provide equal spousal coverage to the gay couple.
Kim's partner So Sung-wook spoke moments after the outcome:
"When I heard the ruling, I couldn't hold back my tears, and I hope that today's good news becomes a stepping stone towards marriage equality, allowing LGBT people to equally utilize the marriage system.”
So and Kim had filed a suit in 2021 against the National Health Insurance Service after it canceled their spousal benefits.
The Chief Justice said that denying the couple benefits constituted discrimination based on sexual orientation.
So and Kim refer to themselves as a married couple, but their marriage is not legally recognized in South Korea.
With no legal acknowledgement of LGBTQ partnerships in South Korea, couples are forced to move abroad to get married legally.
And conservative religious groups in South Korea have mounted fierce resistance to efforts to pass laws championing LGBTQ rights.
Ahead of the ruling, members of conservative Christian groups held a rally outside the court.
They waved a banner reading "Same sex families are nonsense. Supreme Court, overturn the Seoul High Court's ruling!"
Lawyers and advocates said Thursday's ruling marks the first legal recognition of a same-sex unions, with one activist branding it a "stepping stone for progress”.
Source: Reuters
