Seoul’s LGBT festival blocked by Christian concert outside city hall, organisers say

This week, LGBT event organizers said Seoul’s city government granted a permit for a Christian youth concert instead of South Korea’s largest annual LGBT festival outside city hall.

In a country where same-sex marriage is illegal and conservative religious groups oppose anti-discrimination laws, clashes over the Seoul Queer Culture Festival have become a yearly symbol of the fight for LGBT rights.

The festival’s organizers again negotiated with religious groups to hold July 1 events in downtown Seoul. Until 2020 and 2021, the event was held in front of the city hall.

The Seoul Queer Culture Festival’s chief organizer, Yang Sun-woo, called the city’s move discriminatory.

“Each year, we struggle to secure a venue for the event,” she told Reuters.

Instead, there will be a youth concert outside city hall.

The CTS Cultural Foundation, along with local Christian broadcaster CTS, has condemned homosexuality and the festival and is hosting that event.

The CTS Cultural Foundation denied blocking the LGBT festival.

The Seoul city authorities did not respond to a request for comment.

Both events requested the space on the same day. A citizen council—including some municipal council members—made the decision.

The LGBT festival, supported by human rights groups, university clubs, and foreign embassies, has drawn thousands to downtown Seoul each summer since 2015. Protests and police presence are frequent.