South Korea has rejected same-sex marriage, rejecting a lawsuit from a well-known gay couple who wished to have their same-sex union recognised in the country. The men, movie director Kim Jho Gwang-Soo and his partner Kim Seung-Hwan had hoped the judge would agree civil law should be viewed through a “gender neutral’ prism’ that upheld equal rights provisions in the constitution.” In a statement, the court said “Circumstances have changed concerning marriage … but unless there is separate legislation, a same sex union cannot be recognised as marriage under the existing legal system. “Related laws, including the constitution and civil law, are premised on the notion of a conjugal bond meaning a union involving different sexes.” The couple’s lawyer Ryu Min-Hee told AFP that the couple were disappointed, “but we’re not done yet”. The lawsuit was the first of its kind in South Korea, the couple are intending to appeal the decision.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 26th May 2016 - 1:23pm