LGBT
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2018 Seoul Queer Culture Festival
Despite the 33-degree celsius weather, boisterous counter-protests by Evangelical Christians and a petition to the government with nearly 220,000 signatures against the event, South Korea’s persecuted LGBT community came together today in downtown Seoul to celebrate diversity. Some foreign embassies sent staff to show support for LGBT
KÉ Interview: Growing up Gay and Korean
On Saturday, Jul. 14, the 19th Seoul Queer Parade will take place, drawing thousands of people from South Korea’s vibrant queer community, as well as supporters and opponents of LGBT rights. Just before last year’s event, Korea Exposé contributor Chris P sat down with Choi Han-min (not
Jungle: A Drag Queen and Man
“Have you heard of Junglé?” Alex, a young French director, asked me with excitement. On Jun. 16, I met up with Team Ohioh, a Seoul-based French-Korean video production team at their office in Seoul. The only thing I had been told in prior to this rendezvous was that we would
ké cast S1 E1: Anal Sex Taboo
What is the anal sex taboo in South Korea? Host Bruce Harrison and Korea Exposé CEO and co-founder Se-Woong Koo talk about homophobia in South Korea. Listen to this episode on YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, etc or download the audio on AudioBoom. Some conservative groups here fear
KÉ Interview: Singing Against Homophobia
In the middle of Unnie Choir’s last number, Enan Ahn started to cry. She was one of the fifteen women singing “Into the New World,” a 2007 single by K-pop group Girls’ Generation. The lyrics were admittedly corny — “there’s no use in waiting for a miracle, it’
Military Prosecutors Seek Jail Sentence for Gay Soldier
South Korea’s military prosecutors are seeking a two-year prison sentence for “Lieutenant A,” a soldier accused of having anal intercourse with a colleague. A military court is due to pass sentence on May 24. Lieutenant A is thought to have been caught as part of the army’
Find the Missing Gay Emoticons on Samsung's Galaxy S8
After the debacle of Samsung Electronics’ combusting Galaxy Note 7, the company’s latest phone — Galaxy S8 — appears to have been launched successfully. Despite reports of minor technical defects, the reviews of the product have been positive, and pre-order sales of the S8 and S8+ have been Samsung’
"You Didn't Even Have Oral Sex?": S Korean Military's Gay Witch-hunt in Depth
“You didn’t even have oral sex?” “I didn’t even get to see his thing.” In an audio recording, a senior military officer grills a young soldier with questions about his “gay friends.” The officer says: “We have all the information about you and your relationship with YYY on
Allegation of "Gay Blacklist" Surfaces In S Korean Army
The South Korean military is currently accused of systematically tracking down homosexual soldiers. According to the Military Human Rights Center for Korea (MHRCK), Jang Jun-kyu, Chief of Staff for the South Korean army, had ordered a probe to track down gay men in the military (not just the army). The
Justin Lim, South Korea's Unsung LGBT Icon, Dies at 32
Though I did not know Justin Lim personally, it is difficult for anyone having ventured into the wild Itaewon gay scene to not know of Lim or his legacy. Some of the best nights out in Seoul were created thanks to Lim, a South Korean man who was open to
Ahn Hee-jung: A Dark Horse Gathers Pace
South Chungcheong governor Ahn Hee-jung has emerged as a serious contender for the presidency In June 2004, a tall figure in summer prison garb and short hair was brought into Seoul Central District Court. The judge sentenced Ahn Hee-jung, a close aide of then-president Roh Moo-hyun, to 30 months in
Weekly Brief: Nov. 28th - Dec. 4th
Foreign residents banned from participating in nationwide rallies The weekly demonstrations have drawn enthusiastic crowds, but a reminder to foreign residents of South Korea: It’s illegal for them to participate. Immigration law bans non-citizens from any form of political activity. However, there’s a low chance of any negative