The 23rd annual Seoul Queer Culture Festival is under way at Seoul Plaza in Seoul on July 16, 2022. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 5 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday denied the use of Seoul Plaza for the annual festival of the LGBTQ community.
The decision came after the citizen committee on Seoul Plaza operations reviewed two requests submitted for the use of the plaza from June 30 to July 1, the city government said.
The committee denied the request from Seoul Queer Festival and accepted the request by the Christian Television System (CTS)’s Culture Foundation, which plans to host a concert for teens.
Both the organizers of the Seoul Queer Festival and the youth concert submitted a request to use Seoul Plaza simultaneously on April 3, 90 days prior to holding the festivities.
Based on the decision, the Seoul Queer Festival will be unable to take place in Seoul Plaza for the first time since its inaugural event in 2015.
The festival had taken place each year in Seoul Plaza, except for 2020 and 2021 when the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city government said that the citizen committee, in accordance with the city ordinance, deliberated on the requests because they were submitted on the same day.
The committee ruled in favor of the youth concert organized by CTS Culture Foundation because it is targeting children and the youth, the city added.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
