Seoul Queer Parade Held... Opposition Rallies Across Downtown

Organizers Estimate 150,000 Participants
Counter Rally on 4 Lanes

On the 1st, the 25th Seoul Queer Parade was held around Jonggak Station in Seoul.

On the afternoon of the 1st, participants of the Seoul Queer Parade marched from Jonggak Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul, passing through Samil-daero and heading towards Euljiro. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Yang Seon-woo, the chairman of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival Organizing Committee, said in his opening remarks, "The pride parade, which started with about 50 people circling Daehangno, has now established itself as the largest private festival in Korea with 150,000 participants."

At the event, more than 60 booths were set up, including those by LGBTQ+ organizations, university LGBTQ+ clubs from Seoul National University, Kyung Hee University, Chung-Ang University, Hongik University, and embassies from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France.

This year’s Seoul Queer Parade, like last year, was not held at Seoul Plaza. There were plans to hold a commemorative discussion for the Seoul Queer Culture Festival at locations such as the Seoul Museum of History, but the venue rental was denied.

Near the Seoul Metropolitan Council on the same day, an anti-queer festival rally took place. Participants carried blue flags with slogans such as "Oppose Homosexual Queer Festival" and "Oppose Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Law," and protested on four lanes from in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Council to City Hall Station on Seoul Subway Line 1. However, since the event venue and the protest site were far apart, there were no significant clashes.

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