Seoul host conference on sexual minorities

Korea’s first international conference on the human rights of sexual minorities began yesterday at the Seoul Olympic Parktel in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul.
Sixty representatives of human rights groups are attending the conference, which ends Sunday.
The “International Dialogue on Gender, Sexuality, HIV/AIDS and Human Rights: Focus on Asia” was organized by the Korean Sexual Minority Culture and Rights Center and Allied Rainbow Communities International, a Canadian civic group promoting the human rights of sexual minorities.
South Korea is the only Asian country to have signed a declaration on sexual orientation at the UN Commission on Human Rights. The declaration was presented by Brazil in 2003, but had been deferred until this year because of opposition by the Vatican and Islamic countries.