OOn the morning of late March, Oh Tae-yang woke up to the news that his campaign posters, which show rainbow flags and promises of same-sex marriage work, were vandalized, torn and scattered on the floor.
After overcoming the initial surprise, he noticed a particular detail in the destruction. “The strips were torn horizontally just below my neck, as if the person who did this was thinking about cutting off my head,” said Oh.
Oh is a marginal candidate in the Seoul mayoral election on Wednesday, and the only one whose platform is built in defense of the LGBTQ community and other vulnerable groups. “Sexual minorities are often invisible people in our society. The person who tore the bands must have felt that he had the right to live without being reminded of the existence of these people, ”said Oh, 45, to the Guardian at his office in Seoul.
Oh Tae-yang was encouraged to run for office after the death of three prominent members of the Seoul LGBTQ community, particularly Byun Hee-soo, a trans woman who was forcibly released from the armed forces after undergoing gender-confirmation surgery .
His death came weeks after the death of Kim Ki-hong, a non-binary politician and activist, Lee Eun-yong, an LGBTQ playwright.
“I went to the memorials after those deaths, talked to the people there and wondered why these people thought they had no choice but to take their own lives? I want to try to understand this situation and enact measures to prevent deaths like these, ”said Oh.
Despite its economic power, technological prowess and the growing global popularity of its pop music and cuisine, South Korea remains a conservative and patriarchal society.
The secondary election is actually a two-way dispute between Democratic candidate Park Young-sun and Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition party, People’s Power. The latest poll before the vote shows Oh Se-hoon – who is not related to fellow candidate Oh Tae-yang – ahead by a wide margin, with 55% of voters saying they plan to vote for him, compared with 32% for Park .
The vote is seen primarily as a referendum on the inauguration of the Democratic Party and leftist President Moon Jae-in. Moon’s popularity has plummeted in recent months amid government corruption scandals. Voters are also disappointed by the government’s failure to control rising house prices and spur an economic recovery.
Two parliamentary elections are being held on Wednesday: in Seoul and in Busan, South Korea’s second largest city. Both disputes have their roots in allegations of sexual misconduct imputed to the previous mayors of both cities. Former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon took his own life after a former secretary accused him of having sexually harassed her for years. In Busan, the previous mayor resigned after an aide accused him of an unwanted touch. Both were members of the ruling party.
In Busan, too, the opposition People Power party looks set to come out on top, with candidate Park Hyung-joon holding a big lead over rival party ruler Kim Young-choon. Park rose 57% to 31% in the last poll.
‘He can influence and educate’
Oh knows that he will not be the next mayor of South Korea’s largest city, but he feels that his presence at the polls and the open defense of LGBTQ issues can create an impetus to improve minority rights.
“Only your candidacy is absolutely important,” said Heezy Yang, a 30-year-old drag who lives in Seoul. “Even if he doesn’t win the election, being seen making statements that support LGBTQ + people is very important, because he can influence and educate.”
Yang says the conditions faced by LGBTQ South Koreans are “continually improving,” but there is still a long way to go. “When I was a child, LGBTQ + issues were never even mentioned in this country’s politics. Now, because there are politicians and influential people who support us, the concept of being ‘pro-LGBTQ +’ is one thing and it is important, ”said Yang.
LGBTQ activists in South Korea have long been calling for legislation to establish penalties for discrimination based on sexual orientation and other identities. For example, other Seoul mayoral candidates hesitated to guarantee the rights of LGBTQ groups to hold a Pride festival in Seoul, saying that the public may be uncomfortable with the public display of their identity. Supporters pointed out that freedom of assembly is included in the South Korean constitution.
If Oh were elected mayor, he says he would issue municipal decrees banning such discrimination and allowing same-sex marriages.
He would also create several offices in the Seoul city government to improve conditions for people with disabilities, multicultural families and young people, while intending that half of all public positions in the city be held by women.
Oh Se-hoon, the most likely winner of Wednesday’s election, will take office for his second stint as mayor of Seoul, having served in office from 2006 to 2011. Like many South Koreans, Oh Tae-yang is frustrated with the way the country politics can seem like a game of musical chairs among the same old politicians with the same old ideas.
“For a long time in our country people thought that if they won enough, everything would be fine and they didn’t have to worry about anything else. Fewer people think so now, more young people recognize that we need different types of solutions, ”said Oh.
“And it starts with diversity, for different types of people having a voice. This is true democracy. “