Thousands of gay rights campaigners turn out for pride parade in Seoul
On the other side of police barriers around Seoul Plaza, thousands of Christian activists waved banners and chanted slogans at those taking part, condemning what they called an attempt to turn the city into "Sodom and Gomorrah".
Thousands marched through central Seoul yesterday in what organisers described as South Korea's biggest annual gay pride parade, with many celebrating the US Supreme Court's historic decision allowing same-sex couples nationwide to wed.
On the other side of police barriers around Seoul Plaza, thousands of Christian activists waved banners and chanted slogans at those taking part, condemning what they called an attempt to turn the city into "Sodom and Gomorrah".
Some held up banners reading "Hell is upon you! Repent!" towards the marchers, who responded by cheering and waving rainbow flags at them.
Police estimated more than 6,000 people took part in the hour-long parade in the heart of the capital to mark the finale of the annual Korea Queer Festival that started on June 9.
Organisers estimated the number of participants - gay, lesbian and bisexual and transgender people - at more than 20,000, which they described as the largest turnout for the event.
Homosexuality is not illegal in South Korea. But gay and transgender people live largely under the radar in a country that remains deeply conservative about matters of sexual identity and where many still regard homosexuality as a foreign phenomenon.