K-dramas might be featurg more gay characters – jt watch Where Your Ey Lger or To My Star – but South Korea’s showbiz still has a way to go
Contents:
- 5 STYLISH KOREAN ACTORS AND THE CONTROVERSIAL GAY CHARACTERS THEY PLAYED ON K-DRAMAS
- KOREAN BL - BL/GAY DRAMAS AND MOVI OM SOUTH KOREA
- HOMOSEXUALITY IN KOREA: KOREAN CELEBRI, GAY IDOLS AND MORE
5 STYLISH KOREAN ACTORS AND THE CONTROVERSIAL GAY CHARACTERS THEY PLAYED ON K-DRAMAS
* which kdrama actors are gay *
Shows like Netflix’s Vcenzo and Me are featurg more gay characters but South Korea’s showbiz still has a way to goIn South Korea, beg homosexual might not be illegal, but acceptance is still a long way away the nservative untry – and this is largely reflected the entertament we talk about LGBTQ+ reprentatn Korean pop culture, films have fared way better than the small screen. This versn omted the ccial lyrics, “No matter gay, straight or bi, lbian, transgenr life”, drawg accatns of LGBTQ+ censorship is not unmon South Korea, pecially when to LGBTQ+ characters. In 2010, a romantic vow between two male characters Life is Betiful – regard as Korea’s first drama to feature a gay uple – was censored after the church where the scene was filmed filed a plat wh SBS.
A natnal mothers’ group ran a discrimatory newspaper advertisement that said, “When my son be gay and is flicted wh Aids watchg Life is Betiful, SBS should take the blame, ” acrdg to Korea JoongAng Daily. Queerbag generally refers to strongly htg at a gay relatnship between characters orr to appeal to LGBTQ+ viewers and palise on their tert, but whout actually followg through on the ial pictn – or sometim even turng to a 2017 drama The Boy Next Door tells the story of two attractive sgl (played by Choi Woo-shik and Jang Ki Yong) who are flatmat mistaken for a gay uple. The show featured many il, suggtive and homoerotic scen that enuraged the dience to image the two characters havg a same-sex relatnship, but the show never wr them as an actual gay uple.
)Vcenzo’s eighth episo featured a queerbag moment when the protagonist, played by Song Joong-ki, pretends to be gay durg a missn. Photo: NetflixElsewhere, Song Joong-ki’s h Netflix drama Vcenzo also falls prey to this by featurg a queerba bromance and negatively portrayg s sgle gay character. The eighth episo shows Song’s character, the tular Vcenzo, pretendg to be gay to succeed a missn, rultg mixed reactns om viewers.
KOREAN BL - BL/GAY DRAMAS AND MOVI OM SOUTH KOREA
One Twter er wrote, “Havg mixed feelgs about the episo’s plot cuz for one, I’m all for gay rep major K-dramas. There are also other tl like To My Star, Wish You and Nobleman Ryu that will satisfy fans who prefer more idyllic gay romanc set fictnal worlds where beg gay is not owned drama To My Star featur a more idyllic gay relatnship. Some rears and viewers argue that the BL genre rults flat, one-dimensnal pictns, while others believe that if straight women create and nsume ntent about gay male characters, the practice is tomatilly fetishistic.
However, that don’t mean negative portrayals have vanished altogether; for stance, 2021’s mega-h Squid Game, we saw a gay predator sudnly featured for no apparent Seo-hyung Me. However, this might be ed by society beg more ut about stereotypg genrs, rather than the unrlyg hate for sexual mori dimishg, ” said one gay rights activist to Korea Herald.
HOMOSEXUALITY IN KOREA: KOREAN CELEBRI, GAY IDOLS AND MORE
Now, as societi around the world regnise the existence of multiple genrs, Korean dramas are slowly adaptg by featurg more LGBTQ+ screen, we’ve met openly gay, lbian and transgenr characters multiple dramas – wh the followg talented actors challengg genr norms by portrayg LGBT LGBTQ+ Seri: Queer voicLee Joo-youngLee Joo-young ma history by portrayg the first transgenr character a mastream K-drama: Ma Hyun-yi, Itaewon Class.
While her workmat are unfortable wh her revelatn at first, they eventually accept her wh open Extracurricular holds a mirror up to Korea’s teen chat room sex sndalLee Kyu-hyungLee Kyu-hyung starred as the openly gay character Yoo Han-yang Prison Playbook.