South Korea apologises for classing gay teens as delinquents

South Korea's government has promised to revise a youth counseling manual that previously classified homosexuality as a form of juvenile delinquency following criticism from local media and human rights groups. The manual, published by the Korea Youth Counselling and Welfare Institute, listed homosexuality under "delinquency-related issues" alongside sexual violence, theft, and drug abuse.

The classification, which first appeared in a December 2019 edition and was repeated in the 2020 version, sparked immediate backlash when reported by South Korean media. Human rights organizations, including a support center for LGBTQ youth, demanded a revision, and the ministry apologized, pledging to correct the passage promptly and make broader revisions in consultation with counseling experts.

The ministry acknowledged that the error had been carried over from older reference material and expressed concern that the classification could disadvantage LGBTQ youth in accessing shelters or other services. Homosexuality is not criminalized for civilians in South Korea, although the Military Criminal Act still punishes same-sex conduct among service personnel.

Across Asia, 23 nations still criminalize same-sex relations, including Muslim-majority Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesia, which does not criminalize homosexuality at the national level, has recently included the "spread of LGBTQ culture" as a non-military security threat in a presidential regulation, prompting the development of educational materials to prevent its "spread."