📅 How long has Seoul been hosting Pride?

The first Seoul Queer Culture Festival, which included a gay pride parade, took place in 2000 with only 50 participants. Since then, it has been held annually, despite resistance from conservative groups. In recent years, the number of participants has grown to hundreds of thousands. In 2025, approximately 150,000 people took part in the anniversary pride parade, even though it was banned from being held in the city center.

🏳️‍🌈 LGBT clubs and bars

In Seoul, especially in the Itaewon and Hongdae areas, there are LGBT-friendly clubs and bars. The most famous place is Homo Hill, a short street where gay bars are concentrated. Everyone is welcome, even straight couples, and there are no "orientation" checks. However, there are noticeably fewer women than men there, and lesbian bars and parties are rarer and often closed in Korea.

🔎 Society and attitudes

There is no legal protection for LGBT people in Korea: same-sex marriages are not recognized, and anti-discrimination legislation has yet to be passed. Public opinion remains conservative. This is especially true of the older generation (people born in the 1960s and earlier), who often do not even understand what LGBT means and, as a rule, categorically reject it. However, the situation is gradually changing among young people—the internet, social media, and activists are shaping a more tolerant generation.