Transgender people are allowed to undergo sex reassignment surgery in South Korea after the age of 20, and can change their gender information on official documents.Īrticle 31 of the National Human Rights Commission Act states that 'no individual is to be discriminated against on the basis of his or her sexual orientation.' LGBT people are excluded from military service, although a law criminalizing sodomy within the armed forces was recently struck down by the Supreme Court. Harisu is South Korea's first transgender entertainer, and in 2002 became the second person in South Korea to legally change sex. Gay and lesbian Koreans still face difficulties at home and work, and many prefer not to reveal their sexual orientation to family, friends or co-workers.