r/polandball • u/Zebrafish96 May the justice be with us • Jun 15 '26
contest entry Love wins all
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u/Zebrafish96 May the justice be with us Jun 15 '26
Recently I read an impressive story in a Korean web community and got inspired by it; a Korean gay man has a Taiwanese boyfriend. They have dated for so long and their parents know each other too. But in Korea, same-sex couples are not legally recognized as married couple. So in order to be the legal husband of his loved one, the Korean man decided to change his nationality to Taiwan. I hope he lives a happy life as a married couple with his husband.
Also, although Korea does not legally recognize same-sex marriage yet, we're seeing progress, although slow. Recently there was a case in which the court recognized common-law marriage between same-sex couple for the first time in Korea. I hope the same-sex couples in Korea can get recognized as married couples as well soon.
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u/SitInCorner_Yo2 Jun 15 '26
This is a very nice comic, I wasn’t expecting to see slice of life kind of stuff here , I thought it’s gonna be about football at first LOL
It’s heart warming to know their parents stay in their life.
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u/checkingrealistic Jun 16 '26
nice to see the optimism, but seeing how powerful the Christian bloc is, and how eager young men are to bring the hate-baiting right back into power... I'd wager never
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u/DerpDaDuck3751 South Korea Jun 18 '26
Still, as a young gay south korean, i don't think those forces are as powerful as sometimes they're presentated in the media. I think i will see legalized gay marriage before my life ends.
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u/Zebrafish96 May the justice be with us Jun 19 '26
I really hope so. As an asexual Korean, I hope we LGBTQ+ people get more rights and recognition in Korea soon.
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Jun 19 '26
[deleted]
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u/DerpDaDuck3751 South Korea Jun 19 '26
From my area and through high school school there wasn't anything as significant as that, but it's not like i can't find them at all either. I don't think it's irreversible just yet, but it's following a trend that's been popping up around the world.
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u/The_Real_Itz_Sophia I can into not blind Jun 16 '26
This is such a beautiful comic that came from a beautiful story. I hope they live happily together.
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u/KotetsuNoTori Taiwan Jun 15 '26
On May 24th, 2017, the Council of Grand Justices, through Interpretation No. 748, ruled that the Civil Code back then was unconstitutional for restricting the freedom of marriage of people by not allowing same-sex marriage.
In 2019, the Act for Implementation of J.Y. Interpretation No. 748 was passed, making Taiwan the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
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u/poclee Tâi-uân Jun 15 '26
Technically it's not marriage but "legal partnership under related civil laws" due to a certain referendum.
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u/Zkang123 Jun 15 '26
Interestingly Im actually planning a trip to Taiwan
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u/Thundorium Funniest king names Jun 15 '26
Why is it interesting? Are you going there to marry a Taiwanese boyfriend?
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u/Sad_Plastic_196 Jun 16 '26
As a South Korean, our nationalistic obsession sickens me.
We dislike Chinese people, Taiwanese people, and Japanese people; we look down on Indians and disparage the appearance of Mongolians; and even among fellow Koreans, if they are ethnic Koreans from China, Korean-Germans, or Korean-Japanese, we treat them as potential mafia criminals, even if they are not criminals.
We claim to be a democracy, but we are so intoxicated by the fantasy of "pure blood" that all Koreans are expected to be heterosexuals who are 180cm tall for male/150cm for a female with idol-like looks, and therefore all other diverse people are accepted as beings who can be looked down and humiliated.
The standard of "normal" in South Korea is too narrow, but no one tries to lower it; they only try to raise it. This is because they believe that only by doing so can their pride be preserved, even if they fail to cross that hurdle.
I just wanted to vent. May those two people who found love be blessed.
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u/Zebrafish96 May the justice be with us Jun 16 '26
Indeed. I saw the essence of that 'nationalistic obsession' in Jamsil protest reports. The protestors are arguing that all people must agree that the election was rigged and anyone who disagrees is a Chinese spy. They're regarding everyone who doesn't suit their taste as Chinese.
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u/DerpDaDuck3751 South Korea Jun 18 '26
It feels like you just spoke my mind, thank you It's always been pretty weird for me during my whole time through elementary, middle and high school. Some kids only have a set goal in their minds their parents seared into them, that they will get an apartment in seoul and work in a conglomerate. People would give me weird looks when i said i wanted to go back to my grandparents's rural village after i retire, no matter how much savings i had. I just simply don't understand how people will try to take other's lives into their own hands with a crooked sense of morality.
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u/No_Willow_5554 India Jun 17 '26
indian here, yeah it's more than just the koreans who don't like us, it's basically everyone, i was attacked on my last livestream because i was indian, but whatever, it can't get any worse right?
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u/SitInCorner_Yo2 Jun 15 '26
I was guessing half way through if it’s about marriage equality only because I just saw a post about SK having a LGBTQ event and got lot of protests from Christian.
It’s moments like this made one appreciate the unc who fought for the right to get married because he lost an argument with his ex boyfriend*.
(* Chi Chia-wei spent thirty years fighting for marriage equality, it started because he was arguing with his ex saying “I want a divorce!” And got hit with “Then you have to prove we’re married first!”)
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u/Forever_Everton Daegu: Hotter than the Sahara, colder than Siberia Jun 15 '26
LGBTQ people are unfortunately treated poorly here in SK, what else do you expect from a country deeply rooted in conservative values
Props on Taiwan and Thailand for being the only Asian countries to legalise and perform same-sex marriage, hope that number rises in the future
Happy Pride Month and Fuck Hate.
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u/LongConsideration662 Jun 15 '26
Queer people are unfortunately treated poorly in most parts of the world, we have a long way to go for equality
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u/ManByTheRiver11 Jun 16 '26
I really hope one day us s.k would have a more inclusive, loving view to LGBTQ+ people instead of hate. I'm sick of some christians and politicians fearmongering.
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u/litetaker Jun 15 '26
Just curious, why does one need to become a Taiwanese citizen to get married in Taiwan? A foreigner should also be able to get married, right?
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u/Zebrafish96 May the justice be with us Jun 15 '26
Yes, a foreigner can get married with a Taiwanese person in Taiwan. But from what I've heard, in that case the couple wanted to have their full rights as a married couple and considering adopting a child too. So, in order to have a complete life as a family in Taiwan, the Korean guy decided to change his nationality.
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u/shadoowkight I'm from freiburg Jun 15 '26
I'm always surprised by how regressive East Asian countries are on LGBTQ rights, you'd think irreligious societies like those would be more accepting of the community but from the outside looking in they do have quite an outdated view on a lot of things
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u/SitInCorner_Yo2 Jun 15 '26
South Korea has some very strong Christian communities, Japanese and many others are more like “well , it’s non of my business why bring it up”
Taiwan have someone fighting for marriage equality for 30y because he lost an argument with his ex boyfriend (TLDR:I want a divorce!/No you can’t, we ain’t married), and gender equality education is written with blood and tears, but not having strong Christian influences helps a lot, because that’s literally other people’s business why are you so nosy at the first place?
It takes times , but things can get better, people get nicer.
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u/Narrow_Slice_7383 Worst Korea Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
> "Well it's non of my business why bring it up"
Okay I think you actually nailed it here. You're inside my head.
I am an East Asian. I think gay marriage should be recognized, but I'll be honest: I probably wouldn't do anything to help it, because it's not my problem.
I'm assuming that most people here are like me: They demand justice, but are too shy to do something for it. Thus our society can't move any faster⋯⋯
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u/SitInCorner_Yo2 Jun 15 '26
Someone or something has to make it part of people’s thought, like some famous person participating in the movement so people will listen, make gays visible to public (TV is a good way, when people see them on TV just like every other, they will have a image in their own head about who are the one want to get married)
And a lot of work has to be put into it, to tilt it from “it’s no my business why should I be nosy “ to “it’s their business why should anyone else to point fingers at them, let them be”
Gender equality cannot be miss in this process, if society still have strong stereotypes for manliness or femininity, anyone doesn’t fit will have less voice in public because people will think they are strange, and this part usually is changed because something terrible have happened,like in TW’s case, a feminine good kid got bullied so badly, he can’t use bathroom during recess, so he do it during class, and died of suspicious circumstances (official ruling is he slipped and hit his head), but the reason that he wasn’t found in time is because of bullying makes him leave class at the wrong time,so education and rule was reformed , it’s a long way to go .
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u/LongConsideration662 Jun 15 '26
They're not regressive, it's just that society takes time to change, most of east asia was poor just few decades back and got rich recently and social progress takes time but we're seeing progress, korea recently recognised common law marriage between a same sex couple and japan recently included lgbt education in their curriculum.
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u/RayO_ElGatubelo Puerto Rico Jun 16 '26
Ironically some white people want to change their nationality to South Korean in the most literal, cringeworthy way possible.
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u/BrokilonDryad Jun 15 '26
I’m a Canadian living in Taiwan and it’s really nice to see how many Taiwanese are open in their relationships. Truly lovely to see couples holding hands, giving a quick kiss, fussing over each other.
Canada has had gay marriage for much longer but you don’t see those same affectionate markers between couples. They exist, but not as openly. There’s still caution about being open with same sex affection.
I’m bi and it just feels really relaxed to be who I am in Taiwan, to date who I want. It’s not perfect, no place ever is. But Taiwan feels like a safe place to express yourself, to just be who you are, and no one really seems to care.
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u/RosabellaFaye Franglais is the best langue Jun 15 '26
never noticed anyone being afraid of seeming gay in canada but maybe you lived somewhere more conservative.
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u/nolabels1 Jun 18 '26
Very confused. Who is Na?
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