Seoul mayor Park Won-soon told a U.S. newspaper that he personally supports same-sex marriage and would like to see South Korea being the first country in Asia to legalize it, during his recent visit to San Francisco.

With his comments, Park has become one of the first mainstream South Korean politicians to openly support LGBT rights, following the current Gender-Equality Minister Kim Hee-jung.

Gay marriage is opposed by political conservatives and Christians, as well as a majority of the public here.

“I personally agree with the rights of homosexuals,” Park was quoted as saying by San Francisco Examiner, a Bay-area daily, in its story published online on Sunday.

“But the Protestant churches are very powerful in Korea. It isn’t easy for politicians. It’s in the hands of activists to expand the universal concept of human rights to include homosexuals. Once they persuade the people, the politicians will follow. It’s in process now.”

The former lawyer and human rights activist, who is widely considered one of the leading contenders for South Korea’s next presidency, also told the U.S. daily that he hopes to see his nation being the first in Asia to legalize gay marriage.

“Many homosexual couples in Korea are already together,” he told the paper.

“They are not legally accepted yet, but I believe the Korean constitution allows it. We are guaranteed the right to the pursuit of happiness. Of course, there may be different interpretations to what that pursuit means.”

The endorsement, however, may work against him in his political career ― especially if he plans to run for the 2016 presidential election ― as homosexuality still remains largely taboo in South Korea, where almost 30 percent of the population is Christian.

According to a study last year jointly conducted by a local daily and Asan Institute for Policy Studies, 78.5 percent of 1,500 Koreans said they objected to homosexuality. Only 21.5 percent of the participants said they did not feel “uncomfortable” with it.

While 92.4 percent of the participants in their 60s said they are against homosexuality, 57.5 percent in their 20s said the same.

In June, an annual queer parade in Seoul, one of the largest LGBT events in Asia, was disrupted by hundreds of Christians who knelt on the street and prayed in protest. Just about a week before the day of the event, Seoul’s Seodaemun-gu district revoked the permission that had previously been given to the festival organizers, after reportedly receiving complaints from conservative Christian groups. The event, which celebrated its 15th edition, was held regardless, in spite of the district office’s disapproval.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)