Source: Korea Ministry of Education

During his successful election campaign in early 2025, current South Korean President Lee Jae-myung was asked about his stance on enacting comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in the country to definitively protect vulnerable groups. Such a move would theoretically close the loopholes left by existing individual anti-discrimination laws as well as provide concrete ways to combat discrimination in the workplace and beyond. While Lee bemoaned the reality of discrimination itself, he categorized the potential bill as “complicated,” keeping his outright support ambiguous and signaling an uncertain future for the legislation that many Koreans and outside observers feel is long overdue.

Figure: A Korean class for Russian-speaking ethnic Korean students in Gwangju. Source: The Guardian

In a nation that has recently surpassed the population threshold of 5% foreigners needed to constitute a multicultural society, the issue is becoming more pressing by the day. Anti-discrimination legislation could offer foreigners legal protections in the workplace and beyond, which could help address Korea’s ongoing labor shortages amid demographic shifts. Attracting foreign workers is one thing, but retaining them requires ensuring their safety under the law and increasing the long-term viability of living in Korea. In recent years, the Korean government has undertaken efforts to integrate foreign residents into society, through multiple-language public resource campaigns, language and culture programs, and easing participation in everyday tasks like banking. A comprehensive bill would complement these efforts and also necessarily offer protection for Koreans who frequently find themselves victims of biased actions in the workplace and beyond. 

History of Anti-discrimination Law Attempts

Since 2007, Korean lawmakers have periodically attempted to pass potential anti-discrimination bills, to no avail. Protections do currently exist that address some individual groups, such as people with disabilities, but no larger bills have successfully been passed. Over the last two decades, comprehensive proposals that would institute broader legal protections against discriminatory behavior on the basis of “gender, disability, age, origin, ethnicity, race, physical condition or sexual orientation” have not garnered enough political support to overcome strong resistance from vocal conservative forces. As a result, international organizations like the United Nations Human Rights Council have put more pressure on Korea to adopt the legislation lest it remain behind other democratic nations in protecting minority groups and victims of discrimination.

But now, with the September appointment of Won Min-kyong as the Lee Jae-myung administration’s gender equality minister, the bill may be granted another shot at becoming law.

Figure 2: Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Won Min-kyung at her confirmation hearings in September. Source: The Chosun Daily 

During her confirmation hearings, Won was directly asked if she agrees with the need to introduce anti-discrimination measures into Korean law. 

She responded that, now as in the past, she believes it necessary, but deferred to the National Assembly’s ultimate legislative power on the matter. Nevertheless, she pledged her ministry’s future cooperation with the Assembly’s efforts to stimulate public discussion about the bill. While supportive, her reply touched on a chronic issue that has caused the bill to stagnate in the National Assembly in the past: public discourse.

Over the years, politicians on all sides of Korea’s ideological spectrum have touted the need for strong social harmony of opinion on an anti-discrimination bill. In 2021, Lee Jae-myung (as a Representative) stated that such a bill could not be passed unilaterally and was dependent on public discussion to reach a consensus. Former Korean President Moon Jae-in once reportedly told Korean church leaders not to worry too much about the bill’s viability, since it required much more debate – only to reverse course a year later at a National Human Rights Commission event where he proclaimed to support it. More staunchly conservative party members have outright pledged to block any efforts to pass an anti-discrimination law no matter what. 

Public Viewpoints

If public discussion is a prerequisite for the Assembly’s passage of a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, then how can it be facilitated or measured if current conditions prevail? Furthermore, is the government serious about taking social consensus into consideration? Or will the loudest voices prevail? The success of very vocal conservative groups’ opposition to the bill thus far may signal the domination of the current status quo. Politicians, for their part, continue to stress the controversial nature of the bill as a reason for delaying action. But wider citizen polling on the issue tells a different story.

In a survey of 586 Korean 18-39 year olds conducted between July 27 and August 11, 2025, respondents were asked their position on enacting an anti-discrimination law. 71.6% of participants agreed with passing the bill to some degree: around 25% fully back it, while 46% of respondents are in support but express concern about the so-called controversy surrounding the legislation. Notably, only around 6% of respondents outright opposed it. Compare these results to a Gallup poll of 1,000 Korean adults from 2022: 57% responded favorably to the idea of an anti-discrimination bill, while 29% opposed. 

However, the most pertinent element of the discussion may be public perception of the term “anti-discrimination” and what it brings to mind. One constant roadblock to the bill’s progress over the years has been a coalition of powerful conservative religious groups whose arguments against it hinge on a single component of protections the law would grant: those regarding sexual orientation. Christian anti-gay lobbyists have long been the loudest voices influencing Korean politicians to stall the bill, often stating that its passage would open the door to “reverse discrimination” against their freedom to oppose homosexuality. At Pride events nationwide, counter-protesters have shown up in droves to voice their disdain, even garnering support from government officials to disrupt parades and gatherings. In Seoul, Christian organizations have even successfully rushed to apply for events at the same times and locations where LGBTQ+ festivals are commonly held to prevent them from happening, with the support of the city mayor. Anti-gay groups have managed to block regional bylaws from implementation that would otherwise have provided schoolchildren with protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, among other things. Despite this, LGBTQ+ organizers have managed to hold events and draw crowds numbering in the thousands to Pride events across the country.

The daily struggles of those affected by discrimination in Korean society are often overlooked, but advocacy groups have tried to increase awareness in recent years. 

Figure 3: A disability rights protester in a standoff with Seoul police on a subway platform in 2023. Source: Hankyoreh 

Beginning in 2021, disability rights group Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) staged protests in Seoul’s subway stations to draw attention to the accessibility restrictions faced by people with disabilities when using public transportation (like excessive transfer times for wheelchair users) and demand mandates for increased accommodations. But over time, Seoul police increasingly used force to restrict protester access to subways, sometimes leading to physical altercations, lawsuits, and fines levied against disabled protestors by the court in favor of Seoul Metro. Although protests were temporarily halted, SADD began demonstrating on subways again in April 2025 due to insufficient legal changes to expand protections and mobility rights. 

Looking Ahead

Perhaps support for an anti-discrimination bill may depend on this expanding awareness of the multitude of identities and other minority groups that would be covered under a comprehensive law. For one thing, a summer 2025 poll of Korean adults showed that only 11.1% of respondents reported having LGBTQ+ friends or acquaintances, highlighting the marginalization many queer Koreans still feel. In the words of one 44-year-old 2025 Seoul Pride festival-goer, many Koreans have an attitude of “we know you exist, but don’t come out.” Increased exposure and interactions with common victims of discriminatory attitudes can often increase acceptance and positive feelings towards them, something that has become clear in the realm of immigration to Korea. Since 2021, acceptance towards immigrants has grown significantly among Koreans with repeated interactions with those of different cultural backgrounds. If trends like this continue with other marginalized groups like people with disabilities, the chances of public discourse arriving at a mostly pro-legislation conclusion may increase, and political action may follow.

For now, it is uncertain if preventing discrimination through legal means is possible in Korea or even a genuine government priority. In May 2025, Lee Jae-Myung expressed worry that pushing the bill forward would exacerbate political divides and distract from more pressing issues, making it seem like anti-discrimination is not a central concern. But public support could become more vocal as minority groups become more visible. The path to securing legal protections may be long, but the appointment of Won Min-kyong as Minister of Gender Equality and Family may signal progress within the new administration.

Mary Zopf
Latest posts by Mary Zopf (see all)
facebookShare on Facebook
TwitterTweet
FollowFollow us