By Fatma Younis
South Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family apologized on Wednesday and pledged to revise a government-affiliated youth counseling manual that classified homosexuality as a form of juvenile delinquency.
Manual Classification Draws Criticism
The manual, published by the Korea Youth Counselling and Welfare Institute, included the classification in its third edition released in December 2019 and retained it in the fourth edition published in December 2025. The guide placed homosexuality alongside sexual violence, theft, and drug-related problems as delinquency-related issues for at-risk youth.
The classification came to light after South Korean media reports on Monday, prompting human rights organizations and LGBTQ+ advocates to issue a joint statement demanding the government correct the manual.
Government Pledges Reforms
The ministry attributed the wording to an error by the writing team and said it would immediately remove the problematic classification. It also announced a broader review of the manual in consultation with counseling experts, along with strengthened human rights training for youth companions and staff at counseling and welfare centers.
Additionally, the government promised to improve guidelines for youth shelters to ensure young people are not refused admission or disadvantaged because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In August, the ministry revised a separate human rights protection manual for shelter staff, explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and requiring documented reasons for any admission restrictions.
The controversy contrasts with longstanding international medical consensus. The World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases, approved in 1990, does not regard sexual orientation by itself as a disorder.
