Two men cannot legally marry in South Korea, as the country's legal and civil frameworks do not recognize same-sex marriages or civil partnerships. While public discussions, advocacy campaigns, and legal challenges brought by LGBTQ+ activists have gradually increased visibility and sparked important social conversations regarding equality, courts and government institutions maintain that marriage is strictly defined as a union between a man and a woman under family law. Consequently, same-sex couples lack standard spousal rights, tax benefits, and hospital visitation privileges granted to heterosexual married couples.