Korea Queer Festival 2015

Korea Queer Festival – Korea Queer Festival has been the biggest LGBT cultural event in Korea since 2000. The organizer KQCF holds various events including Pride Parade, after parties, Korea Queer Film Festival and exhibitions. Seoul, Korea.

The Korea Queer Culture Festival, held since 2000, is an annual public event taking place in Seoul for about two weeks around end of May to beginning of June. It aims to encourage the pride of Korean sexual minorities and increase an awareness and understanding of LGBT issues to the public.

Korea Queer Festival 2015

The Queer parade in Korea started in 2000 in Daehak-ro as a part of Korea Queer Culture Festival and the participants were only around 50. Since then, the KQCF was held in many places in Seoul, including near Hongik University, Itaewon, Jongno, and the Cheonggyecheon Stream. The latest 15^th KQCF, held in June 7^th 2014 in Sinchon-vehicle-free-street, reached a record turnout of 15,000 participants.

Each year, the festival creates a unique slogan under which many events are planned. Such events include performance, party, queer film festival, show, discussion, photo exhibition etc. The main event is called the ‘Queer Parade’, a public street march. The Queer Parade is an international event held not only in Korea, but also in major cities in the world around June.

Officially called as the ‘PRIDE PARADE’, it is a parade for those who have been discriminated against sexual orientation in spirit of pride. Everyone is welcomed to join the parade as long as they support equal and just human rights of sexuality.

The mission of the Korean Queer Culture Festival is as follows:

Advocating the Pride of Sexual Minorities

The Korea Queer Culture Festival aims to be a seed of change for sexual minorities who have concealed their identities in society break free of oppression and march out. It is also an opportunity to support and encourage the “hidden” sexual minorities in Korea. Despite social discrimination in Korea, the KQCF thrives radiates positive energy through active cultural exchange and parade.

Unique Participatory Events

The KQCF has been devoted to incorporating artistic elements in its events as its long standing mission of the festival. We understand art may not trigger everyone’s interests. Although any forms of participation is encouraged, we hope to increase the level of audience engagement by offering opportunities where they can be the part of the event. In fact, a majority of KQCF events such as exhibition, performance, discussion, and party, are organized by volunteers from sexual minorities and citizens. All our events are open to the public.

Co-existence of Human Rights and Culture

If the supposed function of a festival is ‘ameliorating societal conflicts and inducing harmony and peace’, the KQCF satisfies initiating such a change at the social level while celebrating diversity. In doing so, we bring human rights the culture as our core topic of change.

Despite discrimination, we hope KQCF could be the initiator in starting a social dialogue regarding LGBT issues. In the process, we hope to share the fun and joy with the public.

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