Remembrance

Yukoodang was a queer youth activist in South Korea who died on April 26, 2003, at the age of nineteen. He called himself ‘Yukoodang,’ meaning ‘the house of six friends.’ His six friends were alcohol, cigarettes, sleeping pills, make-up foundation, green tea, and a rosary.

He was a devoted Catholic, and his baptismal name was Antonio. Although he experienced deep pain and frustration within the church, his final words confessed his love for Catholicism and his hope that the God he believed in would bless Donginryun, Solidarity for LGBTQ Human Rights of Korea.

After coming out in middle school, Yukoodang endured daily bullying, violence, and harassment. After leaving high school and running away from home, he supported himself while actively participating in the LGBTQ movement.

He saved his pocket money to donate to LGBTQ human rights work, wrote opinion pieces denouncing discrimination against LGBTQ people, demanded the repeal of the anti-gay clause in the Juvenile Protection Act, and joined anti-war rallies under the rainbow flag.

At his death, Yukoodang left a letter, a rosary, a cross, and a small donation that was all he had. He asked that the money be used for the liberation of sexual minorities.

In his suicide note, he wrote, ‘The God I believe in will accept me.’ He also asked how cruel and anti-biblical it is to discriminate against sexual minorities, hoping that his death would help end hatred and discrimination.

Yukoodang’s death became a pivotal moment in Korean society’s awareness of the lives and suffering of LGBTQ youth. Many LGBTQ people came out onto the streets to challenge the prejudice that homosexuality was harmful to youth, and Christian allies began to stand more visibly with LGBTQ rights.

The anti-gay clause in the Juvenile Protection Act was repealed in 2004. Since 2007, Rainbow Christians and allies have gathered every April to remember Yukoodang’s life and death through prayer and solidarity.

Korean Rainbow United remembers Yukoodang as an oppressed yet proud Korean queer youth. We continue the prayer for LGBTQ liberation, freedom of faith, and a world where all people can live safely and fully.