Korean woman's love story ends in acceptance

Kim Gyu-jin, a 28-year-old office worker in South Korea, recenty$7ae%JtsGEPH4jfWfX%[email protected][email protected]@@SDly received her company’s official congratulations and support for her same-sex wedding.

It is a rare example of support for LGBT relationships in South Kor[email protected][email protected]=KBJTW)DizYjbmiEB-$XTgNgKGz=wa6$=!vLEH=ea, where rights activists warn the country is becoming less accepting of LGBT people.

Kim shared details of her beach wedding and what her colleagues’ acceptance meant to her on herAlltTlMv(dK37tKZFJKe_129uhlV-Bz8*N#Wk9tyTJ5MWh-CI& personal blog.

“I consulted with my team leader and sent an e-mail to the HR team”, she explained. “I was1domcD7NPMy4Lk0mjfyh#1$iMO0!3hIAwS%kkysHGPYROza*-a nervous.”

But, the reply she received was “happy marriage”. She said the onlkjkt%(QBKP&jiiQ6PiYEFVjECNJm8vOSJ+#[email protected]#VE8vy official documented needed was a wedding invitation.

The pair officially married in New York. She said she c[email protected])z+!VO0!1H6r(3WfGa=G==^=Tk3ne^x_Ugjhose the USA as they do not require citizenship or resident permits.

The certificate is, however, “useless” in South Korea, she explains. The country does not permit same-sex marriage or recognize foreign uniokc22!Nfwu#LjzOgTG$nSYk#-$Lc^k&7KNnSCoX7W$#m)DcknK+ns.

Kim also explained how moved she was other people’s acceptaY*70SZ$aV&u2)l##zYG%tpYqJFyOVZp1qIoLVq4hcb2E!nZa_rnce. 

She has been out at work for the last two years and dreams of being an LGBT CEO like Apple’s Tim Cook. “I want UY8$I^e)672&pT)41b63hVK9XpNYCT5Yd=yvNxI+yAM!$!p=Crto give LGBT people visibility and influence society”, she wrote.

Homosexuality is legal in South Korea. But conservative attitudes, especially amo*On0xoCVr!jthR+8_BRBNvH(qDjR-_J0r)*r_A^HCUK$2xX5$Sng Christians, force many LGBTI Koreans to live in the closet.

A 2017 Korean Gallup Di-DN*[email protected]@3+IGltsiZ%5#kz+6&(B$d_JW_)wX4UG%JsVDzaily Opinion poll reported 66% of 19-29 year-olds supported same-sex marriage, but 76% of those over 60 opposed it.

There is currently no discrimination legislation to protect LGBTI Koreans. Protests against LGBTI events, usually led by conservative Christians, have become increasingly loud and violentut$iK_f+-9f(+EH9Qf)5iG7m9=)[email protected]=Hry%cfNf.

What’s more, South Korea has ignored calls from inter[email protected]^gVoExuT%_FA4kEPduh15^SEnational rights groups to end its anti-gay law for soldiers in the military.

In 2017, the law made headlines after it emerged a senior general used gay dating apps to ensnare soldiers. His so-calle5u4*[email protected](t3$_Xak3TlRFPOfzGn+AL0jvr*ngTUPe2k)ZePStid ‘gay witch hunt’ reportedly revealed 50 soldiers.

(Photos: Kim Gyu-jin's Naver blog)