OPENLY GAY KPOP IDOLS AND KOREAN CELEBRITIES

At this point, everyone’s aware of the reach and power of K-pop around the world. BTS, Twice, Exo, and NCT have all been popping up on end of year lists. BTS even won Time’s online poll for person of the year. But what’s it like being an indie K-pop artist in South Korea, especially if you're gay?

The 22-year-old, who made his K-pop debut only this year, is the first openly gay idol in South Korea – a nation where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (also known by the acronym LGBTQ+) relationships are still taboo subjects and gay marriage has not been legalised.

Go Tae-seob, aka Holland, has done everything himself since he started his career. Without the support, or training, of one of the country’s huge entertainment companies, it’s hard to achieve the kind of success enjoyed by other artists. Holland is openly gay. In an ultra-conservative society, not only being gay, but actually singing about it, is an incredibly audacious and disobedient act, and meant that none of the big record labels would pick him up.

Generally speaking, if one idols or popular Korean celebrity come out as gay, it might ruin the career of that respective person. Seeing on history, there is even several suicide actor and idols or trainee because of social pressure and family disapproval. So coming out and showing the "true sexuality" might not be possible for idols and actor/actress.

What Holland didn’t expect, however, was that a generation of young South Koreans would be open to his message of self-love and acceptance. When talking about how he deals with the toxic and homophobic comments he gets online, He said: “I don't get hurt anymore,” he tells i-D, because I have my loving fans.”

Holland tells about his own story as being openly gay in this conservative society. And there are fans who love his stories and feel many things from them. He added, "If my fans and listeners can get my message through my music, I would consider it a success."

Which personal experience fuels your desire to be part of the K-pop entertainment industry?

When I was little, I always wanted to be a musician, watching SHINee, watching how Kim Jong-hyun's singing comforts and heals people. I was truly moved by him. Thankfully, many artists gave me comfort in my darkest hours, so I dreamed of becoming a great artist like them.

Did you ever audition for the big entertainment companies?

Yes, but I cannot tell you any details. Except that it was a really great experience!

He decided to make his debut as a singer to speak out based on his experiences with violent assailants and victims inflicted on sexual minorities. While preparing the album, he tried to sign several agencies for his debut, but the deal was broken when he told the story of the sexual minority through music and expressed his wish to develop a discourse on discrimination against the sex minority on his own. In the end, he produced his first single with the money he saved from his part-time job for about two years without his agency.

Holland also share about misconception that often happened in Asia. The perception that K-pop cannot grow more internationally. Holland believe that K-pop will be improved, that the environment and treatment of this industry will make progress. In Korea, there are plenty of artists who can prove it right. Since LGBT figures are very unpopular in the Korean entertainment industry, I am a representative. People will subject the whole community to hate speech if I make a tiny mistake. So I have to be very passive, more cautious, in my words and behavior.

Check out his MV here:

The other popular openly gay Korean celebrities might be Hong Seok-cheon. In 2000, Hong was asked a question regarding his sexuality on a variety show, and he chose to answer honestly that he was gay. Though the show's producers initially edited out the exchange, a journalist got wind of the story and pressed Hong to confirm his admission.After Hong revealed his homosexuality, he was fired from his network television programs and advertisements amidst public uproar, and no longer landed any major acting roles.He faced massive stigma after becoming the country's first openly gay celebrity, and later said he experienced shunning, verbal abuse and discrimination that he rarely stepped out of his social circle. Yet in 2015 when Korean society become more open and young generation isn't that much conservative as the older generation, Hong finally get back his standing and currently start his entertainment career again and shown in Korean Variety show again as host or guest.