Representatives of the Sejong Hotel chapter of the Korean Federation of Service Workers’ Unions, the Korea Optical Hightech local of the Korea Metal Workers Union, and the Geoje-Tongyeong-Goseong shipbuilding subcontractors division of the Korea Metal Workers Union — three unions with members currently striking over lay offs and poor wages from rooftops and traffic camera towers — shared a float in the Seoul Queer Parade on June 14, 2025. (Jung Yong-Il/Hankyoreh)
The sky was clear over Seoul on Saturday, despite predictions of rain across South Korea. Warm sunshine greeted participants in the 25th Seoul Queer Parade as they departed from the vicinity of the Jonggak subway station at around 4 pm and passed the Jongno 2-ga, Myeongdong Cathedral, and Seoul Plaza areas before arriving at the Eulji-ro 1-ga station.The parade was significant as an occasion for visibility, as large numbers of LGBTQ+ people and allies marched together through the center of the city to show that sex and gender minorities exist and are everywhere in Korea. The parade wove a rainbow over the streets as participants sang, danced and chanted messages that included calls to enact anti-discrimination legislation.The parade, which covered a length of just over 3 kilometers, attracted a mix of reactions from others, including responses of support and apathy.
