Seoul university elects first lesbian student body president

A lesbian was elected the student body president of South Korea's most prestigious university for the first time in the nation's history, the media reported on Friday.

Kim Bo-mi, 23, the sole candidate for Seoul National University's 58th student council election, won 86.8 per cent of voters' approval in the election held from Monday to Thursday, according to the university's election committee.

The voter turnout was 53.3 per cent, with only 11.2 per cent voting against Kim, 0.1 per cent abstaining and 1.9 per cent of votes considered invalid, The Korea Herald reported.

Earlier this month, Kim publicly declared that she was a lesbian during her election campaign, echoing hope for SNU to become a place where people's different lifestyles are viewed as beautiful and embraced.

 

"I hope that people love themselves for who they are and live with confidence in this world. So I am telling you here that I am a lesbian," Kim said during the campaign.

The election had unusually high voter participation, reflecting students' interest after Kim came out during the campaign.

She is the first student president who came out of the closet in South Korea, a country that remains largely intolerant towards homosexuality.

Kim's one-year term will begin on December 1.