[citation needed] The Resident Registration System establishes three parts of a citizen's legal identification: their birthday, place of origin, and gender.
[5] Those who are unable to change their legal gender and ID number can face problems, such as finding work and accessing services.
[6] Previously, transgender individuals who wished to legally change their gender had to provide proof they were unmarried, did not have minor children, and had parental consent, regardless of their age.
[7] However, on November 24, 2022, the South Korean Supreme Court ruled that having minor children is no longer a valid reason to deny an individual a legal sex status change.
South Korea does not allow same sex couples to marry or adopt children, and there are no laws that prevent workplace discrimination or hate crimes against LGBT+ individuals.
[4] Section 6 of Article 92 in the Korean Military Penal Code considers sex acts that occur between two individuals of the same gender to be molestation, even with consent,[4] and is punishable for up to two years.
[13] In 2017, 32 men were charged with sodomy after military authorities began an investigation to crack down on "homosexual activities" amongst soldiers.
[15] However, in April 2022, the Supreme Court reversed their convictions on the grounds that criminalizing same-sex acts that occur off-base and off-duty would deny the soldiers their "rights to nondiscrimination, equality, dignity... and [pursuit of] happiness.
[9] Trans women serving as "men" are assigned to second eligible conscription status, also known as de facto exemption, in the military.
[22] Transgender men are not required to undergo a physical examination and are automatically exempt from active duty as the MMA considers them "disabled and impaired.
"[4] Under Article 136 of the Enforcement Decree of the Military Service Act, they are assigned to the second eligible conscription status which is reserved for individuals such as convicts and orphans.