Thousands gathered for Seoul's annual LGBTQ pride parade, facing opposition from a nearby counter-rally by a conservative Christian group. The event proceeded amid ongoing debates about LGBTQ rights and the lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriage in South Korea.
The event highlights the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance in South Korea, where legal protections and recognition for same-sex relationships remain contentious.
Thousands of people gathered in central Seoul on June 13 for the annual LGBTQ pride parade, known as the Seoul Queer Culture Festival. Concurrently, a conservative Christian group held a counter-rally approximately 700 meters away from the festival venue, according to organizers and police.
The Seoul Queer Culture Festival has historically faced opposition from conservative religious groups in South Korea. The country does not legally recognize same-sex marriage, and attempts to pass a comprehensive anti-discrimination law have been unsuccessful.
Organizers of the pride festival established a stage and around 70 booths starting at 11 a.m. The main festival activities commenced in the afternoon, with the parade, the event's centerpiece, scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. and cover a distance of about 3 kilometers. Yang Sun-woo, the chief organizer, stated that the festival's primary goal is visibility, emphasizing that participation declares the presence of queer individuals in society. A participant, 28-year-old Jeon Young-je, expressed a hope that the festival would encourage more LGBTQ couples to come out and eventually be able to marry.
As of 4:30 p.m. local time, no clashes between the two gatherings had been reported. Real-time urban population data from the Seoul city administration indicated that approximately 15,000 people were present in the area for the combined events.