South Korea Pride festival blocked in favour of Christian group: “We were unfairly denied”
South Korea’s biggest LGBTQ+ Pride festival has been blocked in favour of a Christian youth concert. Since 2000, local LGBTQ+ residents have celebrated Pride season at the annual Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF).
During the festival, which takes place over two weeks, attendees are treated to various events and parties, including the Korea Queer Film Festival and a huge Pride parade.
While SQCF has been a staple in Seoul for over 20 years, the event was recently hit with a significant roadblock ahead of its 2023 festival.
On 3 May, the Seoul Metropolitan Government denied the SQCF’s request to use the Seoul Plaza between 30 June and 1 July. The LGBTQ+ event has used the aforementioned venue since 2015, aside from 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
