- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Not legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, surgery not required
- Non-binary gender recognition
- Unknown
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✖ Illegal
- Military
- Ambiguous
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (1-year deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Suggest Public Opinion Data
Until 2003
Public Opinion
Views on same-sex marriage or other legal recognition
Ranked #24 out of 27 regions surveyed. (Source: Ipsos, April–May, 2021)
(26%) Against
Support (54%)
Views on same-sex couples' right to adopt
Ranked #22 out of 27 regions surveyed. (Source: Ipsos, April–May, 2021)
(45%) Disagree
Agree (46%)
Acceptance of homosexuals as neighbors ?
Ranked #72 out of 79 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)
(79.6%) Mentioned homosexuals
Did not mention homosexuals (20.4%)
Justifiability of homosexuality ?
Ranked #49 out of 79 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)
(61.4%) Not justifiable
Justifiable (7.5%)
Opinion on same-sex couples as parents ?
Ranked #39 out of 74 regions surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)
(40%) Disagree
Agree (22.7%)
"Should society accept homosexuality?" (2019) ?
Ranked #24 out of 34 regions surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, May–October, 2019)
(53%) No
Yes (44%)
"Should society accept homosexuality?" (2013) ?
Ranked #21 out of 39 regions surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, June, 2013)
(59%) No
Yes (39%)
Perceived Acceptance of Gay People ?
Ranked #69 out of 119 regions surveyed. (Source: Gallup, 2013)
(57%) Not a good place
Good place (18%)
By The Numbers
45%
Of South Korean citizens agreed transgender people should be allowed to serve in the military
36%
Disagreed
(williamsinstitute, 2019)
15.85%
of Koreans would feel comfortable with a family member that is a homosexual person
(Macromill Embrain, The Diplomat, 2019)
39.27%
of Koreans would feel comfortable making friends with a homosexual person
(Macromill Embrain, The Diplomat, 2019)
45.12%
of Koreans would be comfortable working with a homosexual person
(Macromill Embrain, The Diplomat, 2019)
10.15%
of Koreans know a Korean LGBT person
74.15%
do not
15.7%
unsure
(Macromill Embrain, The Diplomat, 2019)
59.1%
Of people in South Korea agreed that transgender people should be able to have surgery to match their gender identity
(williamsinstitute, 2017)
90%
of Koreans said they supported equal employment opportunities for LGBT people
(Gallup Korea, 2017)
History
Homosexual activity in South Korea is legal.
Current status
Legal
Homosexuality in Korea never had been illegal in whole history.
Until 2003
Ambiguous
Personal activity is not outlawed, but no permission to incorporate in LGBTQ+ groups.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in South Korea is no censorship.
Current status
Since 2003
Since 2003
No censorship
There is no censorship of LGBTQ+ issues, topics, or events.
Right to change legal gender in South Korea is legal, surgery not required.
Current status
Since Mar 22, 2013
Since Mar 22, 2013
Legal, surgery not required
Transgender persons are permitted to change their gender without having had sexual reassignment surgeries.
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
Since Aug 15, 1948
Since Aug 15, 1948
Illegal in some contexts
There are some LGBT anti-discrimination protections in South Korea.
LGBT housing discrimination in South Korea is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
All people of sexual orientation/gender identity are protected.
Serving openly in military in South Korea is ambiguous.
Current status
Ambiguous
Serving openly is possible, but legal difficulties and prosecution applies.
Blood donations by MSMs in South Korea is banned (1-year deferral).
Current status
Banned (1-year deferral)
A deferral is applied after same-sex intercourse.
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.
Top Contributors
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1 User live in South Korea
South Korea LGBT Organizations
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Common queries:
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Alternative names: Taehan Min’guk (Namhan) (local name)