Over 50 servicemen were identified through deceptive means, including the use of dating apps to trick soldiers and threatening soldiers to out one another. The Military Criminal Act of 1962, which was upheld recently in 2016 after a legal challenge, allows the punishment of homosexual acts between servicemen with up to two years in prison.
The recent South Korean presidential election following the impeachment of Park Geun-hye saw a race between multiple candidates who, while having different political beliefs, all agreed on one topic: homosexuality. When asked about the military’s persecution of gay men, the winner of the election, Moon Jae-in, who is regarded as a liberal, said, “The military is a place where one’s gender is prominent. It is a little early to legalize homosexuality in the military.” He also added that he agreed with conservative candidate Hong Jun-Pyo that gay soldiers could undermine the military and stated that he opposed homosexuality. Of the 14 candidates, Sim Sang-Jung was the only one to clearly support gay rights and the protection of sexual minorities in the anti-discrimination legislation.
However, the lack of support from the government and the societal opposition to the LGBT community have not stopped it from slowly garnering supporters. Young people are more open to homosexuality than previous generations have been, and other events have created positive exposure for the LGBT community.
Held annually since 2000, the 18th Korea Queer Culture Festival (KQCF) in July 2017 saw 85,000 people march in support of LGBT rights. This number was an incredible rise of around 35,000 people from the 50,000 who attended the festival in 2016. While the event gathered many protesters, it also brought together thousands of people, Korean citizens and foreigners alike, who stood in drizzling rain and waved rainbow flags to show their support for the LGBT community.
Protesters hold signs as pride parade participants walk through the streets of Seoul. (Yonhap)