South korea gay men
Our gay travel guide to South Korea will aid you plan a enjoyable and safe trip, with the best gay hotels to stay, where to play, and where to slay!
We came for the bibimbap and boy bands but stayed for the dynamic gay scene, breathtaking landscapes, and, let’s be honest, the chance to live our best K-drama fantasy.
This is South Korea. A land where ancient temples and neon skyscrapers live in perfect harmony, and where fried chicken and soju fuel both your soul and your Saturday night…
We’re here to spill all the kimchi on how you can do the same, from the buzzing gay bars of Seoul to the hidden treasures of Jeju Island. Whether you’re looking for romance, adventure, or simply the perfect Instagram backdrop, South Korea delivers.
So, grab your best K-pop playlist, pack your most fabulous outfits, and trail us as we dive into South Korea’s gay scene, from Seoul’s pulsating queer heartbeat to the cultural gems scattered across this vibrant nation.
One thing’s for sure, South Korea is ready to slay, and you won’t wan
South Korea's LGBTQ community confronts crushing headwinds in combat for equality
NBC News spoke with South Korean lawmakers, human rights organizations and dozens of LGBTQ South Koreans in three of the country’s largest cities: Seoul, Daegu and Busan. Most say a bill that would outlaw discrimination against all minority groups — including the LGBTQ community — is the critical first step toward legal equality.
In , former President Roh Moo-hyun’s administration helped draft South Korea’s first comprehensive nondiscrimination bill, but conservative groups love the Congressional Missionary Coalition immediately objected to its inclusion of “sexual orientation.” One petition sent to the Ministry of Justice prophesied, without any evidence, that “homosexuals will endeavor to seduce everyone” if the bill were to become law.
Lawmakers have since proposed eight comprehensive nondiscrimination bills, but the country’s conservative president and legislators, as well as its powerful Christian lobbies, all but doom such bills in the Assembly, even though a majority of the public (57%) su
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Gay in South Korea: 'She said I don't demand a son like you'
In South Korea, being LGBTQ is often seen as a disability or a mental illness, or by powerful conservative churches as a sin. There are no anti-discrimination laws in the country and, as the BBC's Laura Bicker reports from Seoul, campaigners believe the abuse is costing young lives.
It was a company dinner that changed Kim Wook-suk's life as he knew it.
A co-worker got drunk, slammed the table to get everyone's attention and outed year-old Kim.
"It felt like the sky was falling down," Kim told me. "I was so scared and shocked. No-one expected it."
Kim (not his real name) was fired immediately, and the restaurant owner, a Christian Protestant, ordered him to leave.
"He said homosexuality is a sin and it was the cause of Aids. He told me that he didn't want me to spread homosexuality to the other workers," says Kim.
But worse was to verb. The restaurant owner's son visited Kim's mother to give her the news her son