Gay marriage south korea

South Korea court recognises homosexual couple rights for first time

Joel Guinto in Singapore and Damin Jung in Seoul

BBC News

BBC

A South Korean court has for the first time recognised the rights of a homosexual couple in the region.

In a landmark verdict, the Seoul High Court found a government health insurer did owe coverage to the spouse of a customer after the firm withdrew it when it found out the pair were gay.

The men had held a wedding ceremony in , but same-sex marriage is not recognised in South Korea.

Activists say the ruling is a leap forward for LGBT rights in the country.

However, the case will be challenged in the Supreme Court.

The plaintiff, So Seong-wook said he welcomed the ruling and "recognition of a very obvious right that has not been given".

In , he sued the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) after being denied coverage on his partner Kim Yongmin's plan.

The couple had been granted coverage at first, but this was then revoked as the NHIS said they had made a mistake in granting it to the same-sex couple.

Celebrating the judgment, Mr So praised the court for seeing "the principle of equality as an

July 3,

SEOUL &#; Support for same-sex marriage is gaining ground in South Korea, but the pace has been gradual compared to neighboring countries, with increasingly polarized views on the issue.

Korea has yet to legalize homosexual marriage, unlike 34 other countries where marriage equality either became law or was recognized in court rulings, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

Taiwan has not only legalized same-sex marriage, but also granted adoption rights to same-sex couples.

Meanwhile, Japan&#;s forbid on same-sex marriage is “in a state of unconstitutionality,” according to court rulings, including the latest in a Fukuoka district court in June, though some other courts in Japan reached differing conclusions.

In Korea, neither a Supreme Court ruling nor a Constitutional Court ruling &#; binding in all courts across the nation &#; has recognized the authenticity of gay marriage.

No specific clause in either Korea&#;s Civil Act or the Constitution clarifies whether two people of the alike gender can legally wed or not. Only a Supreme Court ruling, the first of its thoughtful, defined marriage as &#;a physical and spiritual connection between a man and a woman.&#;

S Korea top court upholds right to state health benefits for gay couples

South Korea’s top court has said that the express must provide health insurance for same-sex partners.

The Supreme Court delivered the landmark ruling on Thursday, opening the way for common-law couples of the equal sex to now register as dependents on their partner’s health insurance.

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Chief Justice Jo Hee-de said that denying same-sex couples such benefits because of gender constitutes discrimination based on sexual orientation.

“It is an act of discrimination that violates human dignity and value, the right to pursue happiness, release of privacy and the right to equality before the law, and the degree of violation is serious,” Jo said.

The case was brought by So Seong-wook and Kim Yong-min, a cohabiting gay couple whose marriage in is not considered legal under South Korean law, which does not recognise gay marriage.

Where does Korea stand on same-sex marriage?

Landmark ruling in February bolstered hopes of expansion of legal rights for gay couples, but hurdles remain

A ruling last month by a steep court in Seoul has resurrected the debate on same-sex marriages, which, unlike in many other countries, is a topic rarely-discussed in South Korea.

The judgement acknowledged people in gay partnerships as eligible dependents for national health insurance coverage under a partner’s subscription, a decision which was hailed by sexual minorities and their advocates, and denounced by naysayers, including conservative Christian groups.

“Common-law marriages and same-sex partnerships are essentially the similar in that they create an emotional and economic union through living together. Excluding same-sex partners from coverage while including common-law spouses is therefore a violation of the rule of equality,” the court said on Feb.

The court stated, however, that the partnership of the couple -- So Sung-uk and Kim Yong-min -- would not be legally recognized as a common-law marriage under the current Korean legal system.

While the ruling marked a step forward in the legal protection of p