Daegu Queer Culture Festival

The Daegu Queer Culture Festival, held in Korea's most conservative big city, has been a point of contention since its inception in 2009. Organized Christian counter-protests have been a yearly occurrence, and City Hall has tried to shut it down - under former mayor Hong Joon-pyo, the city attempted to keep the festival off the streets. In 2023, city officials even clashed with police at the site, with Hong deeming road-closure events illegal.

It's a one-day event, centered around 2·28 Memorial Central Park in Jung-gu, with booths from community, union, and religious groups. A 2.4 km parade then makes its way through Banwoldang, with police closing downtown roads from morning to early evening. An anti-queer rally usually runs concurrently, separated from the festival by a police line.

The 18th festival, on 12 September 2026, was relatively clash-free. There were 68 booths, including a first-time appearance by the Jogye Buddhist order's social committee, and organizers expected a turnout of over 3,000 people - though the counter-rally claimed 4,000 attendees. As of now, the 2027 date hasn't been announced.