Seoul City Center Painted in Rainbow Colors for Queer Festival; NHRCK Remains Absent

[Anchor]

The Seoul Queer Culture Festival, a celebration for sexual minorities, took place in downtown Seoul today (June 13). While the festival was held amidst the solidarity of diverse participants, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) did not attend, continuing its absence from last year.

Reporter Je Hui-won covered the scene.

[Reporter]

Downtown Seoul has been painted in rainbow colors, symbolizing solidarity with sexual minorities.

The message from this year's Seoul Queer Culture Festival participants is to embrace differences not as seeds of conflict, but as a common ground for connection.

[Kang Seon-hwa / Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of Korea: I realized that my son was experiencing a lot of hardship as a minority in society, and I also found some courage.]

The small parade that began with 50 people in Daehangno in 2000 has grown over the past 26 years into a festival with 50,000 participants this year.

The Seoul Queer Culture Festival saw participation from 15 embassies and over 70 human rights and religious organizations.

Clergy members who oppose discrimination and hatred carried out in the name of religion also joined the festival.

[Father Jason: The fundamental values of religion are love, peace, and forgiveness. We should focus on love rather than focusing on hatred.]

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea, which had participated in the festival for eight years since 2017, has officially stayed away for the second consecutive year since Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho took office.

This year, the festival organizers protested after Chairperson Ahn, who had initially expressed his intention to participate, also announced that he would attend a counter-protest against the Queer Festival.

Some staff members who oppose Chairperson Ahn voluntarily set up a booth to welcome citizens.

[Choi Jeong-ho / NHRCK Ally Group: I believe it has a very symbolic meaning for a state agency to show solidarity with the socially vulnerable. Isn't the Human Rights Commission Chairperson neglecting his duties?]

Counter-protests by conservative Christian groups were held near the venue, but there were no physical clashes.

(Reported by Je Hui-won | Video by Jang Woon-seok | Video Editing by Shin Se-eun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.