South Koreans protest against gay pride parade

More than 210,000 people have signed a petition on the website of the South Korean president’s office demanding that a gay pride festival scheduled to take place in central Seoul this weekend be cancelled.

The three-day Seoul Queer Culture Festival is in its 19th year and has attracted the ire of traditionalists and conservatives in South Korean society.

Homosexuality is not illegal in the country, but in the military it remains punishable by imprisonment.