South Korean Court Upholds Same-Sex Relations Ban in Military

Court cites potential harm to military discipline and combat readiness as grounds for maintaining the ban on same-sex relations, to the dismay of rights activists.

The South Korean constitutional court has upheld a law banning same-sex relations in the military, citing harm to troops' combat-readiness and potential disruption to military discipline.
This is the fourth time since 2002 that the law, which carries a prison term of up to two years for military personnel, has been upheld by the court. The military criminal act bans "anal intercourse" or "any other indecent act" during service.
While same-sex intercourse between civilians is not a crime in South Korea, the law is seen as systematic discrimination by activists, who claim it leads to violence and discrimination against LGBT servicemen.
LGBT activists have criticized the judgment, stating that it is a setback for rights in the country, and fosters institutionalized discrimination against sexual minorities both within the military and in everyday life.
Dissenting judges from the court argue that the language in the military criminal act is ambiguous and caution against limiting an individual's sexual orientation in the name of military discipline.