Part of the LGBT rights series |
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South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions, but there is limited recognition for spousal health insurance benefits. On 21 February 2023, an appellate court ruled that government health insurance should offer spousal coverage to same-sex couples, the "first legal recognition of social benefits for same-sex couples" in South Korea.[1] This was upheld by the Supreme Court of Korea on 19 July 2024.
Polling suggests that support for same-sex marriage is rising in South Korea, with a 2023 Pew Research Center poll showing that 41% of South Koreans supported same-sex marriage, while 56% were opposed and 3% did not know or had refused to answer. This represented an increase compared to 2013 and 2017, when 26% and 34% of South Koreans supported same-sex marriage according to Ipsos and Gallup surveys.[2]