Gay couple challenge marriage register refusal

Korea’s first married gay couple, Kim-Jho Gwang-soo and Kim Seung-hwan, have taken court action to get their marriage legally recognized.

Kim-Jho, 50, a movie director, and Kim, 31, CEO of film production company Rainbow Factory, launched their challenge in the Seoul Western District Court on Monday. The couple, who wed in September 2013, have filed a suit against the Seodaemun-gu district office for refusing to register the marriage.

“Today might be an important giant step for not just me and Kim but all LGBTs in the nation,” Kim-Jho said on his Facebook webpage Monday. “I hope the court proves today the first clause of Article 11 in the constitution -- which states that all citizens are equal under the law -- is effective and not limited to the constitutional meaning.”