Gay South Korean Couple Lose Equal Coverage Lawsuit Vs Health Insurer – InsuranceNewsNet

InsuranceNewsNet — Your Industry. One Source.™

Sign in
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home Now reading Newswires
Topics
    • Life Insurance
    • Annuity News
    • Health/Employee Benefits
    • Property and Casualty
    • Advisor News
    • Washington Wire
    • Regulation News
    • Sponsored Content
    • Webinars
    • Monthly Focus
  • INN Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
  • Free Newsletters
Sign in or register to be an INNsider.
  • INN Exclusives
  • NewsWires
  • Magazine
  • Free Newsletters
  • Insider
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Staff
  • Contact
  • Newsletters

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Health Insurance Newsletter
Newswires RSS Get our newsletter
Order Prints
January 7, 2022 Newswires No comments
Share
Share
Tweet
Email

Gay South Korean Couple Lose Equal Coverage Lawsuit Vs Health Insurer

UPI International Top News
A Seoul court rejected a landmark lawsuit by a same-sex couple over shared health insurance benefits Friday, a ruling that advocates say highlights the challenges the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community faces in pursuing equal rights in South Korea.

The suit was filed last year by So Seong-wook against South Korea's National Health Insurance Service after it withdrew his ability to receive spousal benefits under the employer of his longtime partner, Kim Yong-min.

South Korea does not recognize marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples, and the Seoul Administrative Court said Friday that it had no legal basis to expand the definition of marriage.

"The union of a man and woman is still considered the fundamental element of marriage, according to civil law, precedents of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court and the general perception of society," the judgment said.

"Under the current legal system, it is difficult to evaluate the relationship between two people of the same sex as a common-law relationship," it continued.

The plaintiffs had argued that the NHIS recognizes non-married couples such as common-law spouses. They said after the ruling that they would appeal the decision.

"Even though the court has left it as a matter for the legislative branch, we will continue to fight until the day that our relationship is recognized," Kim told reporters outside the court. "I believe that love will eventually win."

In February 2020, Kim, 31, was able to register So, 30, as his dependent with the National Health Insurance Service in what is believed to be the first such case in the country.

However, when a local magazine highlighted the couple's story several months later, the NHIS abruptly canceled So's dependent status.

The LGBT community in South Korea has long been seeking more rights and a higher profile in a country that remains deeply conservative on many social issues. In addition to a same-sex marriage ban, there are no anti-discrimination laws in place to protect sexual and gender minorities.

Advocates said Friday's ruling was a missed opportunity for the court to move LGBT rights forward on the basis of equality under the Constitution.

"The court could have made a more meaningful decision on the case, but they are trying to avoid touching this issue," Lee Jong-geol, general director of LGBT advocacy group Chingusai, told UPI after the verdict.

"But [the case] may help push the country to see that this is an unavoidable issue that we need to do something about," he said.

Public attitudes toward the LGBT community have been shifting in South Korea in recent years, especially among the younger generation.

A 2020 global survey by Pew Research found that just 44% of South Koreans felt that homosexuality should be accepted, but that figure soared to 79% among 18-29 year-olds. The generation gap was wider than in any other country, the study said.

Despite the court's decision, So said he believed South Korea was heading toward equality for all.

"We're disappointed with the ruling," he told UPI. "But society is changing. We will appeal the decision and keep working on it, and I hope that change will come even sooner."

Older

Giving Voice: Brunswick clinic is a key piece in the Midcoast health care puzzle

Newer

AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Hong Leong Insurance (Asia) Limited

Advisor News

  • U.S. markets close flat as more positive inflation data rolls in
  • 69% of Americans concerned about their current financial situation
  • Expand your Social Security knowledge with these four terms
  • FINANCIAL FOCUS: Are you properly insured?
  • Liz Weston: 3 ways to fight inflation and win the long game
More Advisor News

Annuity News

  • National Western Life introduces new fixed indexed annuity, NWL New Frontiers
  • Jackson National announces second quarter 2022 results
  • Brighthouse Financial adds to Shield Level annuity suite with new product
  • Prudential FlexGuard reaches $10B total sales milestone at record pace
  • Retirees can rely on annuities as a source of guaranteed income for life
More Annuity News

Health/Employee Benefits News

  • UnitedHealthcare introduces new business unit Surest
  • Texas lawmakers ask feds to reconsider Medicaid expansion proposal
  • Plan to help poor Mississippians with health insurance stripped from latest federal bill
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo invests in telehealth company
  • Drug companies are warning that pricing reform spells doom. Don't fall for it
More Health/Employee Benefits News

Life Insurance

  • Alex Murdaugh petitions to delay Mallory Beach trial amid murder charges
  • Sales of life combination products rebound in 2021, LIMRA reports
  • Integrity Marketing Group acquires Richman Insurance Agency
  • How to get the most out of Life Insurance Awareness Month
  • Life application activity down in July, MIB Index reports
More Life Insurance

- Presented By -

How to Write For InsuranceNewsNet

Find out how you can submit content for publishing on our website.
View Guidelines

FEATURED OFFERS

Get Linked INN to your industry Connect with INN on LinkedIn to be first on all the news and insights that matter to your industry.

Press ReleasesAll press releases

  • National Western Life introduces newest fixed indexed annuity, NWL® New Frontiers
  • CybeReady Supports Security Defenses with CISO Toolkit
  • Life and Disability Income Insurance Products from MassMutual Now Available on iPipeline®’s End-to-End Digital Platform
  • Business on the Go with The Crump Mobile App
  • iPipeline® Provides Advisors Excel with Unified Path Toward Accessing Core Data Analytics in Financial Services
Add your Press Release >

Topics

  • Life Insurance
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits
  • Property and Casualty
  • Advisor News
  • Washington Wire
  • Regulation News
  • Sponsored Content
  • Webinars
  • Monthly Focus

Top Sections

  • Life Insurance
  • Annuity News
  • Health/Employee Benefits News
  • Property and Casualty News
  • AdvisorNews
  • Washington Wire
  • Insurance Webinars

Our Company

  • About
  • Editorial Staff
  • Magazine
  • Write for INN
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Sign up for our FREE e-Newsletter!

Get breaking news, exclusive stories, and money- making insights straight into your inbox.

select Newsletter Options
Facebook Linkedin Twitter
© 2022 InsuranceNewsNet.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • AdvisorNews

Sign in with your INNsider Account

Not registered? Become an INNsider.