The Seoul Queer Culture Festival will take place in the capital’s streets this year, organisers of South Korea’s annual LGBTQ gathering said on Tuesday, after the city government denied their requests to hold events at four locations. The controversy contrasts with recent strides in other democracies in East Asia, such as Taiwan, where same-sex marriage is legal, and Japan, where some municipalities issue partnership certificates. For the second year in a row, the panel overseeing events in the Seoul Plaza at city hall declined the request to hold the festival, though it has been held there every year since 2015, except for the COVID-19 pandemic.