South Korea

Community

Social events, entertainment, bars, festivals, cafes, bookstores, etc.

  • Rabbit Hole Arcade Bar (Itaewon, Seoul)

  • Drunken Vegan (Hongdae, Seoul) - vegan restaurant

  • Queer Festivals in Seoul, Jeju, Jeonju, Busan, Gwangju, Daegu 

  • Haet-bit Bookstore (햇빛서점) (Itaewon, Seoul)

  • Queer and Trans English-speakers in Korea Facebook group 

Political/Social Environment

Resources assessing queer- and trans-friendliness in your country

Legal

Laws that are accepting or discriminatory and legal resources specifically for LGBTQ persons

  • “No current anti-discrimination laws for sexual minorities under Korean law, but since you are an employee of the state department, you have protection under American laws.” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)

  • “You are required to have an HIV test for the Fulbright Korea program.” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)

Housing

  • “You live with a host family, and they may not be LGBTQ-friendly.” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)

  • Facebook group specifically for queer housing in Seoul 

Health

Medical resources for LGBTQ persons in your community (special clinics, testing, treatment, pharmacies, etc.)

  • “Severance Yonsei hospital has an international clinic and most large cities have English-speaking doctors, as for LGBTQ-specific medicial resources, we are not sure.” (Fulbrighter ‘18–‘19)

Culture

Podcasts, literature, movies, music, etc.

Language

How to include trans/gender-nonbinary people in conversations in your country’s language(s)

Race & Ethnicity

Religion & Spirituality