South Korea combines hyper-modern pop culture with a society that is still noticeably conservative about sexuality. Seoul in particular has nevertheless developed a lively scene, whose Pride festival brings tens of thousands onto the streets every year.
Legal situation: Homosexuality is legal for civilians, but same-sex couples can neither marry nor enter a registered partnership. In 2024 the Supreme Court did rule that same-sex partners can be covered as dependants in the national health insurance. A comprehensive anti-discrimination law is still lacking. Under military criminal law, sexual acts between soldiers remain punishable; the Constitutional Court upheld the provision again in 2023.