2 weeks Ago By Korea Bizwire
Pastor Lee Dong-hwan (center, front row), who was expelled from the Korean Methodist Church for conducting a blessing ceremony for LGBTQ individuals, holds a press conference in front of the denomination’s headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on March 4, 2024. (Yonhap) SEOUL, April 25 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean appellate court has upheld the disciplinary suspension of Pastor Lee Dong-hwan, who received a two-year suspension from the Korean Methodist Church for offering blessings to LGBTQ individuals during a queer cultural festival in 2019. The Seoul High Court’s Civil Division 9 on April 24 dismissed Lee’s appeal against the Korean Methodist Church, affirming an earlier ruling that upheld the validity of the denomination’s disciplinary decision.
Lee had sought to overturn the church’s 2022 ruling, which imposed the suspension for violating church laws that prohibit acts perceived as supporting or promoting homosexuality. While the court disagreed with the lower court’s view that the case was moot due to the expiration of Lee’s suspension, it ultimately rejected Lee’s claims of procedural and substantive flaws in the church’s disciplinary process. The court ruled that the church’s actions did not amount to a violation of Lee’s constitutional rights, nor did they constitute an excessive restriction on his freedom of expression or belief.
The panel found that the act of blessing LGBTQ individuals could reasonably be interpreted as supporting homosexuality, even if no explicit endorsement was expressed. Pastor Lee Dong-hwan of the Korean Methodist Church, who was suspended for offering a blessing prayer for LGBTQ individuals at a queer festival, arrives at the church’s headquarters in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, to attend his appeals trial on June 13, 2022, receiving support from his supporters. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) The judges also rejected the argument that church doctrine should be immune from judicial review, noting that the case involved matters extending beyond pure doctrinal interpretation.
Lee’s legal team argued that the disciplinary actions were disproportionate and grounded in outdated theological doctrine that clashed with basic constitutional freedoms. However, the court maintained that the church’s right to define and enforce its own religious standards outweighed those claims. In a public statement following the ruling, Lee called the verdict “shameful and devastating,” saying it reinforced discrimination and hostility toward LGBTQ individuals within religious institutions.
“Today’s decision will further entrench exclusionary practices in the church,” he said. “But this case is not just about me — it’s about the future direction of both our society and the church.” Lee, who was later expelled from the church in December 2023 for violating its anti-LGBTQ policy, is separately contesting that ruling.
A local court suspended the expulsion’s effect in July 2024, pending further review. Lee’s legal representatives said they will review the full decision before determining whether to pursue an appeal to the Supreme Court. M.
H. Lee ([email protected]).
