Seoul City Grants Conditional Approval for Seoul Plaza Queer Festival... Event Limited to One Day

On the morning of the 15th, officials from the Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee held a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall condemning the Seoul city administration for the usage report of Seoul Plaza. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Seoul Metropolitan Government has conditionally approved the holding of the Queer Festival around Seoul Plaza next month.

The Seoul Open Plaza Operation Citizens' Committee amended and approved the Seoul Plaza usage application submitted by the Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee on the 15th.

The committee decided to accept the plaza usage application on the condition that the event period requested by the organizing committee (July 12?17) be shortened to one day on July 16, and that there be no excessive bodily exposure or sale and exhibition of harmful obscene materials prohibited under the Youth Protection Act. Additionally, preparations such as stage installation can begin from the afternoon of July 15, one day before the event.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained, "The Citizens' Committee decided to shorten the usage period due to concerns about potential conflicts with citizens," and added, "The organizers have been notified that if the conditions are violated, the use of Seoul Plaza for the next festival will be restricted."

The organizing committee had previously submitted an application to use Seoul Plaza for the Queer Festival in April. Instead of approving it, Seoul City referred the matter to the Citizens' Committee agenda.

The organizing committee has pointed out that placing the Queer Festival on the Citizens' Committee agenda itself constitutes discrimination against sexual minorities. On the same day, the committee held a press conference in front of City Hall, criticizing it as "a clear discriminatory administration that enforces a permit system only for sexual minority events in Seoul Plaza, which is otherwise a notification-based venue."

The Queer Festival, which began in 2000, has been held with its main stage moved to Seoul Plaza since 2015.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.