In a landmark decision, South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled that the government must provide health insurance to same-sex partners.
This judgement paves the way for common-law couples to register each other as dependents under the national health insurance program.
Chief Justice Jo Hee-de condemned the previous practice of denying benefits based on sexual orientation, calling it discriminatory. “This violates fundamental rights like human dignity, privacy, and equal treatment under the law,” Jo emphasized.
The case originated with a lawsuit filed by So Seong-wook and Kim Yong-min, a gay couple living together. Although they had a ceremony in 2019, South Korea doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage. The couple challenged the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) after it revoked Kim’s dependent benefits upon discovering their sexual orientation.
This ruling upholds a previous decision by the Seoul High Court, which mandated that the NHIS reinstate the benefits. The NHIS, which offers spousal coverage to common-law partners, had appealed the high court’s decision, leading to the Supreme Court case.
Human rights organizations like Amnesty International celebrated the verdict as a “historic victory for equality and human rights in South Korea.” However, they also cautioned that the lengthy legal battle highlights the challenges same-sex couples face in securing basic rights.
