LGBTQ in South Korea

Introduction

The acronym LGBTQ, in its literal sense, represents a group of people that identify themselves as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (Wagaman, 2016). Those who identify themselves as LGBTQ use their identities to define their placements in societies/environments that reject their identities (Wagaman, 2016). These types of identities are only one part of how a young person/growing adult may develop their social identity (Wagaman, 2016). Therefore, it is quite crucial to include these people in our societies and cater to their needs as part of the population that deserves respect and representation. Although LGBTQ populations are more or less represented in North American societies, Asian countries such as South Korea that still rely heavily on conservative, gender-normative ideologies reject notions of gender identities that are not heteronormative.

Heteronormativity in South Korea

Heteronormativity: a term that refers to the idea that human social identity can/should/is solely defined by heterosexuality, and encompasses the cultural/linguistic practices that support this idea (King, 2008). In simple terms, heteronormativity is the way in which society deems heterosexuality to be the norm, and any identity established that is not heterosexual (“straight, opposite-sex attraction) is considered alien or abnormal. In this way, heteronormative culture can be deemed “exclusive”, as it disregards or discredits those who identify themselves as LGBTQ, which are sexual identities outside of the heterosexual/normative label (straight) (King, 2008).

Heteronormativity in South Korea is established institutionally and structurally by South Korea’s legal system that is based on heterosexuality as defined in a binary gender model (Na et al., 2014). The lives of LGBTI peoples are controlled by the state through law enforcement that molds gender according to this binary model (Na et al., 2014). Generally, gender roles are established in the family according to the family headship system (hojuje), which allows for both legal identification and a means of asserting the gendered kungmin (national subject) class that arose as a direct result of this system (Na et al., 2014). Gender roles are established as father or mother, wife or husband, and daughter or son; gender roles are strictly binary and the roles of each individual is founded solely on their gender (restricted in the binary gender model) (Na et al., 2014). Anyone identifying themselves outside of this gender model is deemed abnormal, and is assumed to be unfit to live in the gender-structured system that is still in full force in both Korean society and culture today. For example, gay sons are deemed as disrespecting their fathers and disgracing their families, as according to the gender hierarchy males are expected to fulfill their patriarchal roles in further the family line. This then leads to the LGBTI community to become estranged, as according to the binary gender model system which enforces that opposite-sex attraction is the norm, they do not have or should not have legal recognition as LGBTIs and do not have a familial identity/role they can conform to.

This heteronormativity not only alienates those who identify themselves outside of the binary gender model, but also instigates a submission of fear in those who do choose to come out as LGBTQ/I (non-heterosexual/non-binary identities). In South Korean culture, the family comes first and the father, who is viewed as the patriarch and main support for the family, is expected to find a suitable wife and have children; this is all part of furthering the family name/line (Kwak & Kim, 2017). When a son comes out as gay, it is more or less expected that he will get physically beaten for his "indiscretion" (Arnold, 2016). Because of the systematic hierarchy that is so deeply instilled in the family, the workplace, and society, corporal punishments by an authority figure such as a father are common and brushed off as "special signs of affection" (Arnold, 2016). This can be expected to instill an automatic fear factor that prevents LGBTQ/I individuals from coming out and revealing their identities, which are significant in placing them in the society they find themselves in. Normalized violence and blatant rejection that becomes the norm and expectation only worsens the stigma against non-heterosexuals and non-binaries; the toxicity and prejudice that follows systematic heteronormativity continues under this heavy hand of shame and violence (backed by deeply engrained a binary and heterosexual gender model).

Signs of Anti-LGBTQ Sentiment

Soldier Convicted of Homosexuality in Military Service

A recent event of an anonymous soldier convicted of homosexuality blew up in international news, but not so much in South Korean news. In 2017, the soldier was convicted to six months in prison, under the South Korean military law that prohibits consensual homosexual activity (Rife, 2017). This one event brought light to a larger issue in the South Korean system: the Military Human Rights Centre of Korea (MHRCK) found that the government, specifically under South Korea's army chief of staff General Jang Jun-kyu, had the army set up fake profiles to trap and convict military personnel of being homosexual (Rife, 2017). Although this is a clear infringement of human rights, those found "guilty" of being homosexual in the army face possible punishment, showcasing the South Korean government's refusal to acknowledge and protect the rights of LGBTQ/I *(intersex) people. In addition, the UN Human Rights Committee observed that violence and hate speech against LGTQ/I people was continuous and no action was being taken to prevent the infringement of LGBTQ/I rights (Rife, 2017).

Public Protests / Anti-Gay Organizations

Although a record of 85,000 people showed up to the 2017 Seoul Pride Festival in support of the LGBTQ movement, thousands of Christian protesters responded in anger at the positivity and occurrence of the festival, shouting slogans and blasting Korean gospel music (Hu, 2017). But due to South Korea's vast Christian population, the homophobia that follows Korean Christian values is wide-spread, despite younger South Koreans expressing openness and gradual acceptance of the LGBTQ community (Hu, 2017).

There are also several organizations that actively protest against homosexuality in particular, such as the Anti-Homosexuality Christian Solidarity which started using social media to display the normality of man-woman couples. Its leader/pastor defends his position against homosexuality, stating that since "homosexuality goes against biblical teachings, it's emotionally unacceptable to the public" (Hu, 2017) This displays that homophobia is defended through the Bible for Korean Christians, and since the Christian population is dominant in South Korea, the general homophobia that is adopted by most Christian Koreans is normalized and even encouraged, which is disadvantageous to LGTQ people in this yet conservative country who fight for their identity to be acknowledged both socially and legally.

Health and Safety At Risk

The tenth Korea Youth Risk Behaviour Web-based Survey showed sobering results: rates of suicide attempts/plans/ideation were found to be significantly higher in both homosexual and bisexual groups than heterosexual groups (Kwak & Kim, 2017). In a country that is placed in the top 5 countries with the highest suicide rates, this is quite troubling, especially since the survey reported a high correlation between suicide attempts and sexual orientation. The survey also found that substance abuse was more common in homosexual/bisexual groups than heterosexual ones, as individuals who experienced high levels of stress from keeping their identity hidden turned to alcohol, smoking, and drugs for relief (Kwak & Kim, 2017).

Signs of Progress

Affirmation of LGBT Rights

In 2017, the Beyond the Rainbow Foundation, a LGBTQ rights foundation, was legally recognized as a charity with the Ministry of Justice, under the orders of the South Korean Supreme Court (Human Rights Watch, 2017). The foundation had gone through a long and hard fight to maintain a legal recognition as a foundation for human rights, succeeding after several stages of the government's resistance to their efforts (Human Rights Watch, 2017). This shows the country's gradual process in recognizing and protecting the fundamental rights of all South Koreans, despite gender or sexuality. As stated by Graeme Reid, "this judgement is a vicotry for the fundamental rights of all South Koreans - and a boost to the LGBT community's ability to organize and advocate" (Human Rights Watch, 2017).

Conclusion

LGBTQ in South Korea are still a minority that have a long fight ahead of them in order to gain complete legal and societal recognition. Due to the deeply engrained heteronormativity that stems from a binary gender model, any identity that lies outside of this heteronormative binary gender sphere is rejected and considered as an anomaly in the strict gender hierarchy structure. The practice of corporal punishment has also become normalized due to the reinforcement of this gendered hierarchy, which instills a fear into those who wish to come out as non-heterosexual. Several organizations and signs of protest against LGBTQ include the large population of Korean Christians, allowing for the associated homophobia to become wide-spread. This homophobia and rejection of LGBTQs unveils itself in cases such as the undercover "witch hunt" in the South Korean military which, under the law, arrests those suspected of being homosexual. Despite these drawbacks, the LGBTQ community in South Korea continues to fight for the rights of all individuals regardless of their sexualities, in the forms of legal reforms and pride festivals.

References

1. Arnold, Matthew David. (2016). Queer Korea: Identity, Tradition, and Activism. Retrieved April 3, 2018, from https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10161/13472/Queer%20Korea%20Final%20Thesis_Arnoldpdf.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

2. Hu, Elise. (2017). For South Korea’s LGBT Community, An Uphill Battle For Rights. Retrieved April 3, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/07/25/538464851/for-south-koreas-lgbt-community-an-uphill-battle-for-rights.

3. Human Rights Watch. (2017). South Korea: Supreme Court Affirms LGBT Rights. Retrieved April 3, 2018, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/08/04/south-korea-supreme-court-affirms-lgbt-rights.

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5. Kim, Hyun-Young Kwon., & Cho, John. The Korean Gay and Lesbian Movement 1993-2008. Retrieved April 3, 2018, from https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/faculty/media/Cho_Movement.pdf.

6. Kwak, Y., & Kim, J. (2017). Associations between Korean Adolescents’ Sexual Orientation and Suicidal Ideation, Plans, Attempts, and Medically Serious Attempts. Retrieved April 3, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5439036/.

7. Rife, Roseann. (2017). South Korea: Soldier Convicted in Outrageous MilitaryGat Witch-Hunt. Retrieved April 3, 2018, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/05/south-korea-soldier-convicted-in-outrageous-military-gay-witch-hunt/.

8. Wagaman, Alex M. (2006). Self-Definition as Resistance: Understanding identities among LGBTQ emerging adults. Retrieved April 3, 2018, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19361653.2016.1185760?needAccess=true.