In landmark verdict, South Korea's top court recognizes some rights for same-sex couples

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In landmark verdict, South Korea's top court recognizes some rights for same-sex couples

2024-07-18 19:26 Last Updated At：19:31

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s top court ruled Thursday that same-sex couples are eligible to receive the same health insurance benefits as heterosexual couples, a landmark verdict hailed by human rights groups.

The Supreme Court said it ruled that the state health insurance agency’s refusal to provide spousal insurance coverage for gay couples was an act of discrimination that violates the constitutional principle of equality.

Thursday’s ruling is final and cannot be appealed.

“Today’s ruling is a historic victory for equality and human rights in South Korea,” Amnesty International said in a statement. “The court has taken a significant step towards dismantling systemic discrimination and ensuring inclusivity for all.”

A legal battle between a gay couple, So Seong-wook and Kim Yong-min, and the National Health Insurance Service began after the insurance agency revoked So’s registration as a dependent of Kim, prompting So to file an administrative suit.

In 2022, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the insurance agency. But in February 2023, the Seoul High Court overturned the earlier verdict, saying that denying So’s spousal coverage rights without reasonable grounds was discriminatory because such benefits are given to heterosexual spouses.

Public views on gender issues in South Korea have gradually changed in recent years, but critics say the Asian country still has a long way to go compared with other developed countries. South Korea doesn’t legally recognize same-sex marriages.

“While this decision is a major milestone, the case itself is a sobering reminder of the lengthy judicial processes that same-sex couples must endure to secure basic rights that should be universally guaranteed,” Amnesty International said.

So and Kim welcomed the ruling.

“When I listened to the verdict, I was so moved that I couldn't hold back my tears,” So told reporters outside the court. He said he hopes the ruling will lead to South Korea legally accepting same-sex marriages.

Kim said he is “very happy” because he thinks the court recognized his love for So.

Flooding in Central Europe leaves 5 dead in Poland and 1 in Czech Republic

2024-09-16 17:55 Last Updated At：18:01

PRAGUE (AP) — Massive flooding in Central Europe killed five more people in Poland and one in Czech Republic, officials said Monday.

The number of flood victims in southwestern Poland rose from one to five after the body of a surgeon returning from hospital duty was found in the town of Nysa, firefighters said.

Earlier, the bodies of two women and two men were found separately in the towns of Bielsko-Biala and Lądek-Zdrój and in two villages.

Water has subsided in those areas since then, but experts are warning of a flood threat in Opole, a city of some 130,000 residents, where the Oder River has reached high levels. Concerns have also been raised in the city of Wroclaw, home to some 640,000 residents.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has convened an emergency government session to consider special measures to speed up financial and other support to flooding victims.

Police in the Czech Republic said one woman drowned in the northeast, which has been pounded by record rainfalls since Thursday. Seven other people were missing on Monday, up from four a day earlier.

The floods already killed six people in Romania and one in Austria.

Most parts of the Czech Republic have been affected by floods but the situation was worst in two northeastern regions where authorities declared a state of emergency, including in the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border.

A number of towns and cities were submerged on Sunday in the regions, with thousands evacuated. Military helicopters joined rescuers on boats in efforts to transport people to safety.

Waters were receding from the mountainous areas on Monday, leaving behind destroyed houses and bridges and damaged roads.

In most parts of the country, conditions were expected to improve on Monday.

Floods moving toward the southeastern Czech Republic inundated the town of Litovel.

The Oder River that flows to Poland flooded parts of the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic, forcing more evacuations on Monday.

Authorities in Ostrava, the country's third-largest city, warned against traveling there. Many schools were closed and most people were without hot water and heating. Officials said some 120,000 households were without power Monday morning nationwide.

After flooding hit Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania, it might impact Slovakia and Hungary next as a result of a low-pressure system from northern Italy that has been dumping record rainfall in the region since Thursday.

In Hungary, the mayor of Budapest warned residents that the largest floods in a decade were expected to hit the capital later in the week, with the waters of the Danube River set to breach the city’s lower quays by Tuesday morning.

Mayor Gergely Karácsony wrote on Facebook that the city would use 1 million sandbags to protect various parts of the city, and asked residents to take extra care when near the river.

Scislowska reported from Warsaw, Poland, Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary, contributed to the report.