- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Not legal
- Censorship
- ✖ State-enforced
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
- Non-binary gender recognition
- Unknown
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Illegal
- Military
- ✖ Illegal
- Donating Blood
- Ambiguous
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Public Opinion
Surveys in South Korea have revealed a prevalence of resistance towards LGBTQ+ rights.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
South Korea Surveys
Support for Transgender Inclusion in the Military
(williamsinstitute, 2019)
(Macromill Embrain, The Diplomat, 2019)
(Macromill Embrain, The Diplomat, 2019)
(Macromill Embrain, The Diplomat, 2019)
(Macromill Embrain, The Diplomat, 2019)
(williamsinstitute, 2017)
(Gallup Korea, 2017)
(Gallup Korea, 2017)
History
Homosexual activity in South Korea is legal.
Current status
Legal
Same-sex intercourse is not illegal for civilians in South Korea, but it is between men in the military.
Article 92-6 of the Military Criminal Act penalizes "anal intercourse" and other so-called “indecent acts” in any military setting with up to two years in prison — and all able-bodied men must serve about two years in the military. No law criminalizes heterosexual intercourse in the South Korean military.
Article 92-6 of the Military Criminal Act penalizes "anal intercourse" and other so-called “indecent acts” in any military setting with up to two years in prison — and all able-bodied men must serve about two years in the military. No law criminalizes heterosexual intercourse in the South Korean military.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in South Korea is state-enforced.
Current status
State-enforced
Haphazard self-censorship of LGBTQ+ content, expression, and assembly is common in South Korea.
Right to change legal gender in South Korea is legal, but requires surgery.
Current status
Legal, but requires surgery
In a victory for LGBTQ rights, South Korea's supreme court ruled that transgender people have the right to change their legal sex status, regardless of whether they have underage children.
These guidelines include abusive or discriminatory requirements, such being at least 19 years old themselves, as well as being unmarried, diagnosed with “transsexualism” and having undergone hormone therapy and been sterilized.
These guidelines include abusive or discriminatory requirements, such being at least 19 years old themselves, as well as being unmarried, diagnosed with “transsexualism” and having undergone hormone therapy and been sterilized.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in South Korea is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
LGBT discrimination in South Korea is illegal in some contexts.
Current status
Illegal in some contexts
Trans people can change their legal gender to female or male on on certain identification documents, however this is subject
to obtaining permission from the family court under Article 104 of the Act on the Registration, Etc. of Family Relationships.
to obtaining permission from the family court under Article 104 of the Act on the Registration, Etc. of Family Relationships.
LGBT employment discrimination in South Korea is no protections.
Current status
No protections
In South Korea, national law provides no protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBT housing discrimination in South Korea is no protections.
Current status
No protections
In South Korea, national law provides no protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Same-sex adoption in South Korea is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
No information about when adoption regulations went into effect.
Serving openly in military in South Korea is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
Same-sex intercourse is not illegal for civilians in South Korea, but it is between men in the military. Article 92-6 of the Military Criminal Act penalizes “indecent acts” in any military setting with up to two years in prison — and all able-bodied men must serve about two years in the military. No law criminalizes heterosexual intercourse in the South Korean military.
However, there are some signs that restrictions on LGBTQ service members may be easing: In 2022, the South Korean Supreme Court overturned the conviction of two soldiers for gay sex, and in 2021, a district court posthumously reinstated a transgender soldier who died by suicide after being dismissed from the army.
However, there are some signs that restrictions on LGBTQ service members may be easing: In 2022, the South Korean Supreme Court overturned the conviction of two soldiers for gay sex, and in 2021, a district court posthumously reinstated a transgender soldier who died by suicide after being dismissed from the army.
Blood donations by MSMs in South Korea is ambiguous.
Current status
Ambiguous
In South Korea, there is no specific information available regarding the deferral period for blood donations by MSM.
Conversion therapy in South Korea is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Not criminalized anywhere in South Korea.
Equal age of consent in South Korea is equal.
Current status
Equal
Age of consent is equal in South Korea.
LGBT Rights by province
View the LGBT laws in each individual province of South Korea.
- Jeju
- North Jeolla
- South Jeolla
- Busan Gwang'yeogsi [Pusan-Kwangyokshi] (metropolitan city)
- Daegu Gwang'yeogsi [Taegu-Kwangyokshi] (metropolitan city)
- Daejeon Gwang'yeogsi [Taejon-Kwangyokshi] (metropolitan city)
- Gwangju Gwang'yeogsi [Kwangju-Kwangyokshi] (metropolitan city)
- Incheon Gwang'yeogsi [Inch'n-Kwangyokshi] (metropolitan city)
- Ulsan Gwang'yeogsi [Ulsan-Kwangyokshi] (metropolitan city)
- Seoul Teugbyeolsi [Seoul-T'ukpyolshi] (capital metropolitan city)
Equality Rank
#5
Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?
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Alternative names: Taehan Min’guk (Namhan) (local name)