Last Tuesday, February 23, a historic event took place in South Korea: for the first time a court ruled that government health insurance should offer spousal coverage to same-sex couples.
In other words, it is the first time that the legal benefits for this group have been recognized in the country.
Although same-sex marriage and civil unions are not allowed in South Korea, the ruling is an important milestone in the fight for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
The ruling was motivated by the lawsuit filed by So Seong-uk, who married Kim Yong-min in 2019. Months after the wedding, the health insurance agency agreed to Kim’s request to list So as her dependent, based on the same grounds that common-law heterosexual couples are granted spousal benefits.
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It should be remembered that, according to the laws of South Korea, a dependent is exempt from making health insurance payments if their spouse meets certain employment conditions.
However, in 2021, the entity withdrew So Seong-uk’s status as a dependent of her partner, Kim Yong-min. It was at that moment that she decided to start a lawsuit claiming equal rights.
The story quickly went viral in the region, especially since the first court to hear the case ruled in favor of the agency, arguing that same-sex unions cannot be considered the same as heterosexual unions. That is, he did not recognize them as spouses.
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However, So appealed the process until last Tuesday, February 21, when the appeals court revoked the ruling.
In a press conference after the ruling, the couple thanked those who supported the cause. Even Kim tearfully said that “our love won and is winning”.
“When I first met Seong-uk ten years ago, we couldn’t find any official expression to describe our relationship. Today, finally, our relationship is recognized in the legal system,” she said, her voice cracking.
Kim stressed that the achievement is only one of the many rights that are secured through a legal marriage, and called for the legalization of same-sex marriage.
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