A Protester Disrupts Director Kim Jo Kwang Soo's Same-Sex Wedding

Kim Jo Kwang Soo, a film director known for having gone public with his sexual orientation, held a wedding ceremony on September 7 uniting him and his partner, Kim Seung Hwan. The ceremony marks the first openly held gay marriage in Korea by well-known figures in the entertainment industry. What should have been a joyous and greatly anticipated moment for the two and the LGBT community in Korea was disrupted by a protester who spoiled the ceremony by throwing garbage toward the couple.

The protester, identified in the press as simply “Lee,” entered the area by introducing himself as a church elder. He proceeded to mount the stage, verbally protesting against the marriage and spraying garbage toward the couple. Several people on stage with the couple were also spattered with rubbish. Lee was subsequently indicted on a physical assault charge.

Meanwhile, Kim Jo Kwang Soo and Kim Seung Hwan plan to file a constitutional appeal or an administrative litigation if their marriage registration is not accepted.