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South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that same-sex couples are entitled to spousal health insurance coverage, marking a historic first despite the lack of legal recognition for same-sex marriages in the country.
The court upheld a previous ruling favoring So Sung Uk, who had sued the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) after it denied his request to be a dependent of his male partner, Kim Yong Min. The NHIS had previously extended such benefits only to heterosexual couples.
Chief Justice Cho Hee Dae stated that excluding same-sex partners from spousal insurance violates principles of equality and human dignity.
So welcomed the decision, hoping it will lead to broader legal recognition of same-sex marriage in South Korea.