Film director Kim Jho Gwang-soo on Saturday symbolically married
his partner Kim Seung-hwan and urged the government to recognize
their union.
According
to Reuters, the couple, together nine years, exchanged vows on a
bridge in Seoul before hundreds of guests. The two-hour ceremony,
announced months in advance, was dubbed “Kim Jho Gwang-soo and Kim
Seung-hwan's Righteous Wedding.”
“Now people cannot but call us a married couple as we have had a
wedding,” Kim told reporters before the ceremony.
“It is important whether or not we become a legally bound
couple. But more importantly, we want to let people know that gays
can marry too in our society.”
Although homosexuality is not illegal in South Korea, gay men and
lesbians face discrimination and gay couples cannot legally marry.
The AFP
reported that a handful of opponents attempted to block the
wedding from taking place by occupying the site and a man, later
identified as an elder in a Christian church, was detained by police
when he threw food onto a choir.
Kim, 49, came out gay in 2005. He and his partner co-founded
Rainbow Factory, a production company that specializes in LGBT-themed
movies