Seoul mayor in dilemma over gay rights

By Jung Min-ho

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon is in a double-bind.

The former human rights lawyer is being battered by both supporters and opponents of gay rights since the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) dropped a plan Friday to enact a human rights charter this year.

Rep. Lee No-keun from the ruling Saenuri Party bashed Park, Monday, for rationalizing homosexuality through the charter, calling it an “act of destroying the basic value for all human beings.”

“Park is behind the issue of homosexuality. And he has been equivocal about it,” he said. “We need to keep a lookout for such an act against humanity.”

Meanwhile, members of citizens’ committee, 180 volunteers and human rights experts selected by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) to be a part of the enactment of the charter, criticized Park for “breaking a promise to Seoul citizens.”

“The SMG is responsible for declaring and implementing the charter as it promised to Seoul citizens,” the committee said in a statement.

They claimed the SMG showed no will to finalize the charter at the meeting as it decided to put the clause on gay rights to a vote. Almost half of the committee members furiously left the meeting immediately after the decision.

“There is no public policy that can be determined unanimously,” it said.

Moon Kyung-ran, vice chairwoman of the committee, said, “It is very embarrassing that the city unilaterally decided to scrap the plan, which had long been discussed with its citizens

“Now it seems impossible to finalize the charter and announce its enactment on Dec. 10, Human Rights Day, as planned.”

The SMG insisted it will continue its efforts to persuade opponents of the human rights charter project, saying it “will take more time to listen to a variety of opinions from our citizens on this matter.” But few believe it will be able to convince either side.

Homosexuality has long been considered taboo in Korea, where Christians account for about 30 percent of the population.

Park made headlines around the world when he openly expressed his support for same-sex marriage during his trip to the United States last month.

Experts say that the issue of gay rights will continue to be Park’s pivotal challenge as a potential candidate in the next presidential election.

No mainstream politician has dared to support same-sex marriage. In 2012, liberal contender Moon Jae-in pledged to explore “institutional alternatives” on the issue, but he later backed away from that because of a conservative backlash.

A Pew Research survey last year showed 59 percent of Koreans believe that homosexuality should not be accepted by society. That was higher than 57 percent in China and 36 percent in Japan, but represented a considerable drop from the 77 percent in 2007.