South Korean gay couple wins legal recognition in historic ruling

Gay Pride in Seoul, 2013
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In a landmark moment for LGBTQ+ couples in South Korea, a high court in the nation has ruled that spousal coverage under the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) should be applied equally to both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ couples.

It’s the first time the legal status of same-sex partners has ever been recognized in South Korea.

The decision came about due to a lawsuit filed by couple So Sung-uk and Kim Yong-min, who argued that they should be entitled to the same spousal insurance benefits the country grants to heterosexual couples even though same-sex marriage is not yet legal in South Korea.

While So and Kim could not legally marry, they had a wedding in 2019 after having lived together six years, according to the Korea Herald. In 2020, they registered with the NHIS, Kim as the policyholder and So as the dependent. Later that year, NHIS revoked So’s insurance status and ordered him to provide back payments after deciding his marriage was not valid.

A lower court initially ruled against the couple, but the Seoul high court overturned the ruling on Tuesday and ordered…

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