
South Korean same-sex couple sues health insurer for equal rights
SEOUL, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Same-sex couple Kim Yong-min and So Seong-wook filed a lawsuit against South Korea's national health insurance agency on Thursday over its removal of So's status as a dependent family member, a move they claim violates their rights. In February of last year, Kim, 30, registered So, 29, as his dependent under the National Health Insurance Service, South Korea's public scheme that covers almost the entire population. Advertisement Although South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions, the couple was able to register for health insurance as spouses, in what lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender advocates believe was the first such case in the country. However, their progress was short-lived, as the NHIS abruptly canceled So's dependent status in ...