Seoul mayor Park Won-soon endorses same-sex marriage in first for South Korean politics

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Seoul mayor Park Won-soon has become the first mainstream politician in South Korea to openly endorse same-sex marriage.

In an interview with Bay-Area daily the San Francisco Examiner, published on Sunday, Mr Park said that he hoped South Korea would become the first Asian nation to legalise same-sex marriage.

His stance on gay rights could invite controversy from the country’s social conservatives, yet he has been cited as a likely candidate for the 2016 presidential election. Coming out in support of gay rights is a rarity in South Korea, with a vast majority holding negative attitudes towards LGBT people, according to recent polls.

Mr Won-soon, who started his career as a human rights lawyer, said: “I personally agree with the rights of homosexuals. But the Protestant churches are very powerful in Korea. It isn’t easy for politicians.” A Seoul city spokeswoman confirmed the mayor’s comments to the Wall Street Journal, which were made in late September during a visit to San Francisco.

Politicians are under considerable pressure from religious groups that oppose gay rights. This year’s annual gay-pride parade in Seoul was met with protests by Christian groups, and the authorities of the district that hosted the event later announced that they opposed it.

Local think-tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies showed just 21.5 per cent said they had little or no objections to homosexuality, with a quarter saying they supported gay marriage.

However, due to an increase in mainstream media coverage, South Korea’s views towards homosexuality have improved in recent years, with an advance in the number of films and television shows that feature gay characters.

Source: Independent

It's progress atleast, esp in such a conservative, family orientated society. Baby Steps.

Comments

[fantaesticbaby.livejournal.com]

Seoul have themselves a good mayor

[marsinblue.livejournal.com]

oh, there's light at the end of the tunnel, nice! Respect for him for standing up.

Just read this week in the Economist an encouraging statistic: only 16% of koreans over 50 think homosexuality should be accepted, but 71% of 18-29 year-olds do.

Hopefully in one generation things will be much better.

[mamamoos.livejournal.com]

that's a good stat to read. there's still lots of injustice it's so easy to focus on as a minority but things are changing quite rapidly!!

[torontok.livejournal.com]

I'm glad there's someone who feels this way in Seoul politics (and for all we know more who can't express it).
Sometimes I think of LGBT rights in my own country and it makes me so horribly sad.You can get killed for even speaking out and no politician in her hisotry has ever endorsed it

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

i really really love that he said this except it worries me because with this statement plus his endorsement for alternative military enlistment for jehovah's witness he's earned himself a lot of haters and that's dangerous for a non-saenuri politician aiming for presidency...

but ugh i love him so much he's done so much for seoul
i'm just glad he got re-elected over the other lazy ass

[bunica1990.livejournal.com]

Seoul has a good mayor!

[nana-the-dwarf.livejournal.com]

This makes me happy.
Listen to the man.

[1111-am.livejournal.com]

Yay!

South Korea’s views towards homosexuality have improved in recent years, with an advance in the number of films and television shows that feature gay characters.

What are some? Are they portrayed realistically or are they the stereotyped portrayals? I thought I remember hearing something about either School 2013 or some other drama, but I can't remember...

[undelight.livejournal.com]

was it reply 1997 that you're thinking of? :0

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

oh my god school 2013 doesn't have gay characters it's just that the closest thing the drama had in terms of love lines were two guy best friends who cried every time they had a conversation

there's the reply 1997, some makjang dramas that portray everything bad so no bother looking for those, that one noh hee kyung drama (called life is beautiful, i think) in 2010 that had one of the family members come out and how other members dealt with it.

recently there is a 2 or 4 episode mbc drama being filmed right now that was supposed to have heavy homosexuality content but thanks to protestants as per use it's gonna be downplayed severely... ugh.

[ohlookshiny.livejournal.com]

i thought life is beautiful was written by kim soo hyun?? gosh i would love it if noh hee kyung wrote a drama surrounding a gay character.

i'm sad to hear about that drama special :(

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

oops you're right i confused the two.

but i googled and turns out noh hee kyung did write a short two-ep drama on homosexuality in 1999 (whoa!). it's called sad temptation.

yup it's upsetting because im joo hwan is in it and it won the mbc one-act drama award apparently. it looked like it had a nice mix of mystery thriller/queer content so it wasn't strictly like omg let's solely focus on the hardships of gays but more like this gay dude in joseon dynasty gets involved in a mystery while dealing with his unrequited love for his stepbrother.
but gah, mbc is cutting out most of the queer part and just focusing on the mystery part. UGHHHHHH
i'll still watch, but the progress... :/

[ohlookshiny.livejournal.com]

easily done tbh!!!

ooo i didn't know that. shame i can't watch alot of noh hee kyung's older shows bc they're not subbed, i'd love to watch that.

noooo i love im joo hwan ;~; srsly fck u mbc that sounds really good? it doesn't even feature explicitly queer content and they're still butchering it. wtf. and it's only a drama special for god's sake, they're supposed to be more creative with them than primetime shows. damn. this industry is ridiculous....

[innertide.livejournal.com]

Movies: Two Weddings and a Funeral (2012), No Regret (2006), One Night Only (2014), Night Flight (2014), Rec (2011)

[sakuragirl24.livejournal.com]

One of the actors from School 2013, Lee Yi Kyung, was in a movie about a gay couple called white night/baek-ya, maybe that's what you heard?

[spaceinvaduhh.livejournal.com]

I know a short film entitled Just Friends? with Yeon Woojin in it. It's my favourite tbh it's just so adorable and a bit heartbreaking

[aki-san.livejournal.com]

Adding to the movie list with A Frozen Flower (2008), The King and the Clown (2005), and The Weight (2012, transgender issues). I loved The Weight and King and the Clown and thought they handled their characters well, Frozen Flower I could take or leave.

I loved Life is Beautiful. I thought it was a good portrayal, both in terms of the gay characters and their relationship and in their relationships with their families. Pretty dramatic, but damn if I didn't cry about 50 times watching it, lol. It benefited from being a long drama (63 episodes), so the storylines had a lot of time to develop.

[ohlookshiny.livejournal.com]

school 2013 doesn't feature gay characters, it was a ~deep~ friendship between two dudes. some fans believed their relationship to be romantic, but it was never made explicit in the show.

reply 1997 features a gay guy who has a one-sided crush on the male lead. reply 1994 did a bit of bait and switch with baro's character, it was definitely implied he was gay early on the show (imo) and liked the male lead, but then he got a gf, so. the writer was sort of like 'haha no he's actually straight dw!!!!!!!' which rubbed me up the wrong way tbh, but w/e.

life is beautiful features a gay couple and deals with the repercussions of coming out etc. definitely the most positive/sympathetic portrayal of gay characters on korean tv (judging by general consensus).

i guess there's also sungkyunkwan scandal - song joong ki's character is total playboy and flirts with basically everyone, and seems to have feelings for his bff (yoo ah in's character). he basically admits he's bi. i think he was treated well by the narrative.

korean tv seems to be allergic to lesbians but there is a kbs drama special - the daughters of bilitis club - which is centered around a family of queer women. i don't think it was received well in korea (for obvious reasons) but i heard some positive things about it. i haven't seen it myself tho. apart from that, nothing featuring lesbians.

i'm not so sure about films, but i enjoyed just friends? featuring lee je hoon and yeon woo jin. lee song hee-il is a director who's done some queer films.

that's all i think of off the top of my head?? i hope it was helpful :').

[lysblack.livejournal.com]

that is really good news!

[girltragedy.livejournal.com]

Whoa; those are some bold statements for a potential presidential candidate. If my city in ridiculously conservative Texas can elect (and re-elect) an openly gay mayor, I'd like to think Korea could at least get behind someone who merely embraces the idea. They could really use some change... Good luck to him!

[jcdhwg.livejournal.com]

This is good news! I feel so bad for the whole LGBTQ community in Asia and everywhere around the world were it's not accepted. During my last stay in Seoul I had a short ~fling with a gay boy there. We talked a lot about his future and if he was ever going to tell his friends/family. But he said he could never ever tell his mom because he was scared that she'd kill herself over it, telling his friends also wasn't an option. He said he will probably end up with a girl in a few years because that's what everyone is expecting of him, it's so heartbreaking :(.
Also such a big difference from where I'm living, samesex-marriagen allowed since 2003 and adoption for gay couples allowed since 2009 and I've never had a negative reaction from friends or family..

[mamamoos.livejournal.com]

it's the worst hearing about people who feel like they just have to conform, and not even because they haven't recognised their sexuality

[suxaholic.livejournal.com]

well that was dumb he should have waited at least until he won the general election if he is going to run for the presidency and then sprung it on them like Obama did

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

meh he was directly asked about it in reference to taiwan as it's currently going through the gay marriage legalization issue. it was a yes or no situation.

[4minutesluts.livejournal.com]

pff what kind of politician can't turn a simple yes/no question into "uh, well, it depends on..."

[kairoso.livejournal.com]

i kind of agree. should have gave a nonreply lol then tackle gay marriage legalization when he's elected

[princetabi.livejournal.com]

that's awesome. The United States' own president took FOREVER to come and say he supported gay rights/marriage so i'm not surprised that not many korean politicians do the same.

[angela-derp-otp.livejournal.com]

That's amazing tbh. I hope he gets elected in 2016, my friends in Seoul love him to bits. They say he's really progressive and has done a lot of things for the city. Seems like he clicks really well wih late 20s early 30s citizens.

[nurii.livejournal.com]

:') I wish more high-profile Koreans would speak out like this.

[undeniablysarah.livejournal.com]

BUT GUYS

Mr Won-soon, who started his career as a HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER
and
likely candidate for the 2016 presidential election

He is coming for SM. Hide your CEOs

No but seriously this could be HUGE for S.Korea if he gets elected and has a more open point of view about people and society

[phililen3.livejournal.com]

It reminds me of the movie Dancing Queen, where Uhm JungHwa's husband is a human rights lawyer who represents a gay couple and becomes Seoul mayoral candidate.

[leighbee333.livejournal.com]

Local think-tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies showed just 21.5 per cent said they had little or no objections to homosexuality, with a quarter saying they supported gay marriage.

Even though that's sad, weren't the numbers similar in the U.S. just, like, 10-15 years ago (I'd seriously like to know)? And the generational difference seems even more dramatic than in the U.S., so at the very least it looks like eventually anti-gay legislation/restrictions will be rolled back; the question is just how long that'll take for the anxious LGBT who want to get on living their lives to the fullest free from all the homophobic bullshit....

When it comes to representation of LGBT in popular culture, though, I'm not sure Korea is even where the U.S. was in the mid-late-90s, are they?

[a-cheshire-grin.livejournal.com]

A step in the right direction! Let's continue on this path!

[cleopatra25.livejournal.com]

I love this guy!

[e-bone (from livejournal.com)]

Awesome news.

[redgreendress.livejournal.com]

Wow, how awesome of him to speak out about this. Like he said, protestant churches are very powerful in Korea so it's an unusual display of courage for a politician to openly support gay marriage. I'm going to remember his name.