The dissenting judges said the matter should be settled by Parliament. South
Korea doesn't have a law that allows such moves.
Lower courts have given mixed rulings in cases where transgender people sought
to legally change their sex.
Last year, 26 cases were filed in courts nationally, but only 15 people were
allowed to legally change their gender. In 2004, only 10 out of 22 cases
received a favorable ruling.
The issue of transsexuality started to get attention in South Korea after a
male-to-female transgender singer, Ha Ri-su, rose to popularity. Ha won her
petition to legally change her gender in 2002.
The Supreme Court estimated there are about 1,000 South Koreans who do not
identify themselves with their sex at birth. But activists estimate there are
at least 4,000 such South Koreans.
Thursday's ruling was "a very welcome development," said Han Mu-ji, a
27-year-old who had a sex-change operation to become a man.
"I hope this will help bring about positive results in future petitions." Han,
however, said the legal recognition should also be given to those who can't
afford sex-change operations due to high costs and medical risks.
Associated Press
