NATIONALCourt recognizes same-sex partner as legal dependent

• Published date: 28 February 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

LGBTQ community welcomes landmark ruling granting health insurance benefits to same-sex couple

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By Lee Hyo-jin

An appeals court ruled in favor of a gay couple calling for equal health insurance coverage for same-sex couples, Tuesday, overturning a lower court's decision that sided with the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS).

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The landmark ruling by the Seoul High Court ordered the NHIS to cancel its decision made in 2020 to withdraw a gay man's eligibility to receive spousal health insurance benefits under the employer of his longtime partner.

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Although the court did not recognize the same-sex couple as common-law partners, it viewed that the NHIS' decision was discriminatory, considering that the state health insurance program has been giving spousal benefits to heterosexual civil marriage couples.

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In February 2020, Kim Yong-min, 33, was able to register his partner, So Seong-wook, 32, as his dependent in the public health insurance system. It was the first known case of a same-sex couple doing so. The couple held a wedding ceremony in 2019, although their relationship is not recognized under Korean law.

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However, after finding out that the two were a same-sex couple, the NHIS reversed its decision saying that...