Loving people of the same sex is just the manifestation of homosexual self-identity, and it is hard to say that this act intends to harm other people or society. Nevertheless, accusations and negative judgments of homosexuality eventually lead to moral aversion to homosexual identity. In this context, the criticism of homosexuality in Korean society is directed at “them,” not their “homosexuality”. There is a prejudice that homosexuals are the “people with problems living with others” and furthermore “moral and abnormal.” This bias is so strong compared to other minority groups that it is pervasively perceived  as “I want to avoid homosexuals.” Therefore, they have been more discriminated against and excluded from society in that they contradict heterosexuality, the dominant sexual values of society.

Under this perception, the 2010 SBS drama "Life is Beautiful" provoked social controversy despite being praised for setting a groundbreaking challenge to the reproduction of homosexuality in TV dramas. The drama was aired over about eight months at the time when many families watched together , dealing with homosexuals who are part of the family with a significant and positive attitude. This was a very unconventional setting, and social repercussions were also hot. In addition, SBS aired the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" in February this year. SBS made a controversy by arbitrarily deleting the male lead's kiss scene between same-sex characters and blurring the kisses of the male extras in the background. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not a musical film, but according to the biography of Freddie Mercury, his homosexuality actually plays a big part in his life. There was criticism that deleting the natural expression of affection in the movie was violence against the sexual minority. Therefore, it can be said that our society's view of homosexuality has become somewhat generous enough to be recognized as an individual's special lifestyle, but it still demonstrates the duality of excluding and regulating sexual minorities in public media.

Hitherto, homosexuality itself is not used often for the material of mass media, but homosexuals, especially in TV dramas, have a small proportion of narratives and often appear as supporting roles. They often satisfy the public's curiosity about their sexual orientation through their unique appearance or voice, or create tragic emotions as objects of compassion.

Recently, however, homosexual characters on TV have become more popular in the Korean media. Homosexuality stories, which had been taboo, are now naturally meeting viewers and leading to positive influences as they become receptive. The tvN drama "Mine," which ended in June this year, deals with homosexuality. As "Mine," which means finding true self, is the title of the work, it beautifully and affectionately recreates the process of the heroine facing her ex-girlfriend. As internal conflicts and external pressures as sex minorities were captured, viewers naturally embraced homosexuality in support of their love. JTBC drama "Nevertheless," which ended last month, also featured love between the same sexes. This drama captures the development of two female college students from best friends to lovers without provocative portrayals. The story of the two women, confused between friendship and love at first but ending up falling in love with each other, was no different from the love of the opposite sexes and honestly contained the worries that youth could have. Recently, like these two dramas, an increasing number of media are accepting various sexual orientations. It creates a perception among viewers that love between the same sex is no different from heterosexuality, causing universalization. Therefore, even if homosexuals appeared in the past, they stayed around as roles for the fun and curiosity of the play, but recently, Korean media places homosexual characters at the center of the narrative. The character is also reproduced as an ordinary member of society that can be seen everywhere around us. Nevertheless, the media on homosexuality is still criticized, and there are many viewers who feel repulsed about it. In particular, some people contend that when children watch media about homosexuality, growing children can be confused about their sexual identity and develop sexual curiosity.

How do foreign media deal with homosexuality? Thailand, which is more tolerant of homosexuality than other countries, has an entertainment program called “take guy out Thailand.” This is a program for matching couples of the same sexes. The American drama "Modern Family" tells the daily stories of modern families in various forms. In season five, same-sex marriage is legalized in California, and the two men get married. They adopted their daughter and worked at a company, dealing with common conflicts and stories at home, which were shared and loved by many people. In this regard, some foreign media treat prejudice against sexual minorities and their love in a realistic and natural way, and Korean media are also slowly moving in the same direction.

The World Health Organization (WHO) called homosexuality “a manifestation of normal personality,” not a choice of individuals through the Classification of Diseases (ICD) statistic in 1992. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) also completely removed homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1987. This is a correction of the negative stereotype of sexual minorities, with 29 countries currently legislating same-sex marriages. A “geregistreerd partnerschap” is a system first introduced in the Netherlands. It allows unmarried couples to receive legal protection equivalent to married couples in the administrative, medical, and financial sectors if they go through procedures. This law is enforced between the same sex and the opposite sex, and can be said to have been forced to improve the rights of same-sex couples.

Currently, homosexuality and other sexual minorities are still controversial issues in Korean society. Legislation on sexual minorities is always controversial, and the two sides are clearly different and not narrowed down. As such, Korean society has become more tolerant of sexual orientation of sexual minorities at a personal level and consumes it as a popular cultural element at a multicultural level. However, many people still have resistance to them coming into the social system and receiving legal and institutional protection without discrimination. Therefore, the media should directly raise questions about sexual minorities and provide a forum for social debate and consensus. The media should not unconditionally exclude and avoid contention regarding their sexuality. It will have to expand the scope of the story so that homosexuality, like heterosexuals, can be accepted as intrinsic human needs and rights.