South Korea's Supreme Court recognised new rights for same-sex couples Thursday, saying the state must provide health insurance for a gay man's partner in a landmark ruling that left activists weeping for joy. The country's highest court ruled it was "discrimination" for state health insurers to treat same-sex couples differently from their heterosexual counterparts, in a verdict that activists said could pave the way for the eventual legalisation of same-sex unions in the South. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES