A gay couple in Seoul sheds tears of joy as they welcome South Korea Supreme Court's ruling on July 18, 2024 that a same sex-partner is eligible for spousal benefits from state health insurance. The move was hailed as a win for LGBTQ rights in a country that has lagged other jurisdictions in the region. The decision upheld a landmark decision by the Seoul High Court early last year that the National Health Insurance Service should provide equal spousal coverage to So Sung-wook and Kim Yong-min who filed a suit in 2021 against the agency which had canceled their spousal benefits. Chief Justice Jo Hee-de said that denying them such benefits because of gender, even though there are no clauses in the national health insurance act specifying it, constituted discrimination based on sexual orientation.
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