South Korean court upholds ban on gay sex within armed forces

FILE PHOTO: Participants wave a rainbow flag as they march on a street during the Korea Queer Culture Festival 2022 in central Seoul, South Korea, July 16, 2022. REUTERS/ Heo Ran/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's constitutional court on Thursday narrowly upheld a law banning same-sex relations within the armed forces, citing a possible risk to the military's combat readiness in a ruling criticised by activists as a setback for gay rights.

Under the country's military criminal act, members of the armed forces face up to two years in prison for same-sex relationships. The law has been referred to the court and upheld by it four times since 2002.