Korean court throws out gay couple’s lawsuit regarding shared healthcare
On 7 January, a Seoul court threw out the LGBTQ+ inclusive case due to the country’s views on marriage. “The union of a man and woman is still considered the fundamental element of marriage, according to civil law, precedents of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court and the general perception of society,” the final judgement read.
The devasting news comes a year after, So Seong-wook and his partner Kim Yong-min filed a lawsuit against South Korea’s National Health Insurance (NHIS).
According to a report from United Press International, Kim initially registered So as his dependent with the NHIS in February 2020.
But due to their case being profiled in a local magazine, the organisation revoked So’s dependent status shortly after. Even though the two aren’t married, the couple argued that the NIHS recognises unmarried couples as common-law spouses.
