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K-pop stars that openly identify with queer labels are hard to come by. Due to the conservative nature of South Korean society, coming out can be a big challenge.
However, some music artists have openly revealed their true selves and now serve as role models for other closeted queer people in and out of the industry. This list will talk about a few former and current K-pop stars that identify with the LGBTQ+ community.
Which K-pop stars are from the LGBTQ+ community?
1) Holland
Holland, real name Go Taeseob, is a g*y soloist in the Korean music industry. He debuted on 21 January 2018, with his single Neverland.
Holland's name was taken from the country of Holland, as they were the first country to legalize same-s*x marriage. The singer revealed that no entertainment label would sign with him owing to his openness regarding his own s*xuality, so he had to fund his own debut through working several part-time jobs.
2) MRSHLL
MRSHLL or Marshall Bang is a Korean-American singer. He debuted in the music industry back in 2015, and is considered the first openly g*y South Korean singer.
The K-pop star was last known to be on Feel Ghood Music, Tiger JK's label which houses famous R&B artist BIBI. MRSHLL has worked with Tiger JK, Woo Wonjae, Ugly Duck, and other such artists in the past.
3) Jo Kwon
Jo Kwon is a member of the K-pop group 2AM. In an interview, Jo Kwon revealed that he adopted a genderless way of expressing himself, stating:
"Being genderless is my weapon."
It is not known if Jo Kwon has a set of preferred pronouns or not. Regardless, the singer was praised for their courage in freely expressing their thoughts on gender identity.
4) Som Hye (Som Hein)
Som Hye was a contestant on the Mnet K-pop survival-reality show Idol School in 2017. In 2019, she revealed on her Instagram account that she was bis*xual and in a relationship with a girl at the time.
However, in 2020, she revealed that she and her girlfriend had broken up after a year. She thanked her fans for being supportive of them and for all the positivity she received.
5) Minsung (Navinci)
Kim Minsung (formerly known as Hansol) came out as as*xual during an Instagram Live stream that he was holding in August 2017. He previously was a part of the K-pop boy group Topp Dogg (now known as XENO-T).
Minsung stated on his Live:
"I thought about this, and I’m as*xual. I don’t like anyone. I only like myself. I just like my friends and family."
Since leaving Topp Dogg, Minsung has supposedly quit the K-pop industry. He is currently working as a choreographer at 1997 Dance Studio.
