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South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions. On 21 February 2023, an appellate court ruled that government health insurance should offer spousal coverage to same-sex couples, the "first legal recognition of social benefits for same-sex couples" in South Korea.[1] This was upheld by the Supreme Court of Korea on 19 July 2024.
Polling suggests that support for same-sex marriage is rising in South Korea, with a 2023 Pew Research Center poll showing that 41% of South Koreans supported same-sex marriage, while 56% were opposed and 3% did not know or had refused to answer. This represented an increase compared to 2013 and 2017, when 26% and 34% of South Koreans supported same-sex marriage according to Ipsos and Gallup surveys.[2]