5 Stylish Korean Actors And The Controversial Gay Characters They Played On K-Dramas |

Contents:

• IN THE MP WORLD OF K-POP, ’S HARD FOR STARS TO BE GAY
• THE PROBLEM WH BEG GAY SOUTH KOREA
• GAY SOUTH KOREA TRAVEL GUI
• 5 STYLISH KOREAN ACTORS AND THE CONTROVERSIAL GAY CHARACTERS THEY PLAYED ON K-DRAMAS
• GAY AND TRANS SOLDIERS SAY THEY WERE ABED SOUTH KOREAN ARY
• GAY BAN
• THE BEST SEOUL GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS SEOUL
• HOW GAY-FRIENDLY IS SOUTH KOREA?WH THE WTER OLYMPICS AROUND THE RNER, THE GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT IS ON {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY SAM MANZELLAFEBARY 5, 2018/12:03 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:3414PX;WIDTH:5120PX;}CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGSEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 15: PEOPLE ENJOY THE KOREA QUEER CULTURE FTIVAL 2017 ONT OF CY HALL ON JULY 15, 2017 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. THE ANNUAL FTIVAL PROMOTG THE LGBT RIGHTS HAD OCSNALLY BEEN DISPTED BY ANTI-LGBT GROUPS THE PAST, THOUGH HOMOSEXUALY IS NOT ILLEGAL THE UNTRY. (PHOTO BY CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAG)BY SAM MANZELLAFEBARY 5, 2018 / 12:03 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"HOW GAY-FRIENDLY IS SOUTH KOREA?","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2018-02-05T17:03:39.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2018-02-05T17:03:39.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"SAM MANZELLA","KEYWORDS":"TERNATNAL, SPORTS","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN JT A FEW DAYS, HUNDREDS OF ATHLET WILL SCEND ON PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA, FOR THE 2018 WTER OLYMPICS, CLUDG A NUMBER OF GAY AND LBIAN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT WHAT'S THE STATE OF LGBT EQUALY SOUTH KOREA?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HISTORILLY, THE UNTRY'S NSERVATIVE ERNMENT AND LARGE CHRISTIAN POPULATN HAS MEANT SLOW PROGRS: IN 2013, A PEW REARCH POLL DITED ALMOST 60% OF KOREANS BELIEVED SOCIETY SHOULDN'T ACCEPT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN LAWS AGAST SAME-SEX ACTIVY KOREA, AND THE AG OF NSENT ARE EQUAL FOR HETEROSEXUAL AND HOMOSEXUAL SEX. BUT BEG GAY IS STILL CULTURALLY TABOO: A MAJORY OF QUEER PEOPLE ARE STILL CLOSETED, AND THOSE WHO E OUT ARE OFTEN ENURAGED TO UNRGO NVERSN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"MOST KOREANS STILL KEEP THEIR SEXUALY PRIVATE," NOT SABRA CONSTANCE HILL, A CANADIAN TRANS WOMAN WHO'S LIVED SOUTH KOREA FOR NEARLY 13 YEARS. "WHILE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WILL E OUT TO IENDS, A LOT STILL HI OM THEIR FAY."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LIKE THE RT OF ASIA, SOUTH KOREA LACKS MARRIAGE EQUALY, AND SAME-SEX UNNS AREN'T REGNIZED BY THE ERNMENT, EHER. SAVE FOR A FEW MUNICIPALI, THERE ARE NO LEGAL PROTECTNS AGAST DISCRIMATN. LGBT KOREANS N'T ADOPT CHILDREN OR OPENLY SERVE THE ARY. (LAST YEAR, A SOLDIER WAS SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS JAIL FOR HAVG NSENSUAL SEX WH ANOTHER SOLDIER.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CENSORSHIP IS NOT UNMON, AND THE ERNMENT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BLOCK GAY DATG APPS OM APP STOR KOREA. AND CHRISTIAN GROUPS LIKE SEOUL'S ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY CHRISTIAN SOLIDARY FUEL MPAIGNS TOUTG MARRIAGE AS STRICTLY BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN.CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGSEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 15: ANTI SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ACTIVISTS ATTEND THE RALLY NEXT TO THE KOREA QUEER CULTURE FTIVAL 2017 ONT OF CY HALL ON JULY 15, 2017 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. THE ANNUAL FTIVAL PROMOTG THE LGBT RIGHTS HAD OCSNALLY BEEN DISPTED BY ANTI-LGBT GROUPS THE PAST, THOUGH HOMOSEXUALY IS NOT ILLEGAL THE UNTRY. (PHOTO BY CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"AS THE SOCIAL MOVEMENT FOR THE LGBT MUNY BE MORE VISIBLE, THE MOVEMENT OF DISGTG FORC IS ALSO BEG MORE TENSE," SAYS CANDY YUN OF THE KOREAN SEXUAL MORY CULTURE AND RIGHTS CENTER. "THE HATE GROUPS KOREA ARE TRYG TO OVERTHROW OUR RIGHTS AND SPEWG THE SAME TIRED PROPAGANDA THAT HOMOSEXUALY IS THE E OF AIDS."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE TRANSGENR MUNY ISN'T MUCH BETTER: WH A FEW EXCEPTNS, TRANS KOREANS N ONLY CHANGE THEIR LEGAL GENR MARKERS AFTER THEY'VE UNRGONE SURGIL TRANSN AND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT ATTUS ARE CHANGG QUICKLY. ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THE REPUBLIC, 60% OF WHOM SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALY. "WHILE KOREA IS STILL EPLY NSERVATIVE, THERE IS A TREND TOWARD EQUALY AND OPENNS," SAYS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A TELEVISED BATE LAST YEAR, PRINT MOON JAE- SAID HE OPPOSED HOMOSEXUALY. BUT SUPPORTERS SAY HE WAS ONLY SAVG FACE ONT OF NSERVATIV. FOUR MONTHS LATER, AN LGBT RIGHTS GROUP WON A LANDMARK SU ALLOWG TO LEGALLY REGISTER AS A CHARY. (THE SEOUL METROPOLAN GOVERNMENT, THE MISTRY OF JTICE AND THE NATNAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSN HAD ALL TRIED TO BLOCK .)ED JONES/AFP/GETTY IMAGPARTICIPANT 'SEEA' POS FOR A PHOTO DURG A 'GAY PRI' GATHERG SEOUL ON JULY 15, 2017.THOANDS OF PEOPLE CELEBRATED GAY RIGHTS WH SONG, DANCE AND A MARCH SEOUL ON JULY 15, AMID RA AND BOISTERO PROTTS BY NSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS. RELIG SOUTH KOREANS HAVE BEEN A LOUD FIXTURE AT THE ANNUAL PARA FOR YEARS, HOLDG A RIVAL ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY RALLY WHILE TRYG TO PHYSILLY BLOCK THE MARCH. / AFP PHOTO / ED JONES (PHOTO CRED SHOULD READ ED JONES/AFP/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN 2015, ANIZERS OF KOREA'S ANNUAL PRI EVENT, THE QUEER CULTURE FTIVAL, HAD TO GO TO URT TO OVERTURN A POLICE BAN. IN 2017, THE EVENT SAW A RERD-BREAKG TURNOUT WH 85,000 {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"EVERY YEAR, [THE FTIVAL] GROWS," HILL SAYS. "TEN YEARS AGO, WAS ATTEND MOSTLY BY THOSE THE LGBT MUNY. BUT NOW MORE ALLI SEEM TO BE SHOWG UP."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CERTA NEIGHBORHOODS SEOUL, LIKE ITAEWON AND HONGDAE, HAVE GAY AND LGBT-IENDLY CLUBS, AND HILL SAYS SHE GENERALLY FEELS SAFE. "IN MY TIME HERE, SOME OF MY BIGGT ALLI HAVE BEEN KOREANS. KOREANS ARE GENERALLY KD PEOPLE... ONCE YOU ARE THEIR GOOD GRAC, THEY HAVE YOUR BACK."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MEDIA REPRENTATNS HAVE EXPAND, AS WELL: FILMMAKER KIM JHO GWANG-SOO AND ACTOR-POLICIAN HONG SEOK-CHEON ARE BOTH OUT CELEBRI. HARISU IS A WELL-KNOWN TRANS POP SGER AND ACTRS. EARLIER THIS MONTH, OPENLY GAY K-POP STAR HOLLAND RELEASED "NEVERLAND," HIS BUT MIC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE CLIP, WHICH FEATUR A SAME-SEX ROMANCE AND KISS, HAS GARNERED MORE THAN 4 LN VIEWS ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

IN THE MP WORLD OF K-POP, ’S HARD FOR STARS TO BE GAY

Origatg 1960s Japan, where  was known as “yaoi, ” BL typilly picts two men a homoerotic relatnship.

Some LGBTQ activists have acced BL stori of fetishizg and appropriatg gay culture.

Wily regnized as South Korea’s first openly gay K-pop artist, the sger and actor Go Tae-seob, who the stage name Holland, starred a BL drama last year and believ that the growg visibily of BL books, TV seri and movi is a posive step.

THE PROBLEM WH BEG GAY SOUTH KOREA

Bdette, who also intifi as gay and is a longstandg BL fan, said the genre will shake up nservative views on genr and sexualy South Korea.

“Whether you are a heterosexual woman tryg to ject your sexual tonomy to the world, or you are a gay man who wants to see posive reprentatns of male-male romance, BL n be ed, ” he said. ” One petn sent to the Mistry of Jtice prophied, whout any evince, that “homosexuals will try to sce everyone” if the bill were to bee law. ” In May, a top adviser to Print Yoon said “homosexualy n be treated, ” like a smokg hab (he later rigned).

GAY SOUTH KOREA TRAVEL GUI

Prottant Pastor Yonah Lee, a stnch supporter of Yoon’s polici, is often lled this untry’s facto “ex-gay” spokperson.

” Pastor Yonah Lee, center, leads an "ex-gay" march LifePastor Lee acknowledged that discrimatn agast LGBTQ dividuals is “wrong, ” but he argued that the Bible “nmns homosexualy” and baselsly claimed that an anti-discrimatn law that explicly protects LGBTQ people would “force church to close.

What is like to be gay South Korea? Homophobia is still rife South Korea, where very few mastream mic stars have e out as gay.

5 STYLISH KOREAN ACTORS AND THE CONTROVERSIAL GAY CHARACTERS THEY PLAYED ON K-DRAMAS

There, homosexual sex is not banned, but is illegal the ary, where almost all men mt plete a stt of pulsory nscriptn. “It’s kd of sad, ” said Jungm Kwon, an amic who wrote a book lled “Straight Korean Female Fans and Their Gay Fantasi. “On the one hand looks like the dtry is very open md to shippg culture, ” she told CNN, referrg to the culture among fans of imagg relatnships between their favore stars – cludg gay relatnships.

Acrdg to Kwon, fans were spired by “yaoi” – a kd of Japane manga that featur gay relatnships between male upl – and began makg up stori about their favore stars.

Even now, K-pop labels sometim cultivate idols’ homoerotic appeal the hop that mak them more popular fanfictn, where Kwon timat 80% of stori volve gay story l. South Korea’s rerd labels are happy to let fans fantasize about idols beg gay. But they don’t want gay idols be open about their sexualy.

GAY AND TRANS SOLDIERS SAY THEY WERE ABED SOUTH KOREAN ARY

But when me time to but, the label was agast him butg as a gay idol. “It’s a shame that’s the lim they n go when to showg homosexual teractn – n only be portrayed as funny.

After Hong me out publicly as gay 2000, he was fired om his hostg job and lost other work – and thor Kwon believ that harsh rponse has disuraged others om followg su. Holland thks thgs are changg: more artists appear to be ditg that they are alli of the gay muny. In the absence of nfirmatn, mentators have ed small, clive clu to speculate on their stance, for example, the time the band’s lear RM tweeted Macklemore’s song “Same Love, ” which promot equal rights for gay people.

GAY BAN

But ultimately, experts believe a time when gay stars are accepted mastream K-pop uld still be some way off. [디어 애비로 배우는 생생 영어]DEAR ABBY: I'm a 54-year-old gay man who has spent his life makg cisns wh everyone else md. 하지 말아야 할 단 하나의 일은 지금껏 걸어왔던 길을 계속 가는 겁니다 WORDS■ wh A md: A를 염두에 두고■ be based on ~에 기초하다, 근거하다■ perceive ~을 (~로) 여기다, 감지하다■ secury 안전, 무사■ separately 따로따로, 별도로■ let someone down ~의 기대를 저버리다, ~를 실망시키다■ proximy to ~에 근접하여■ spl up 헤어지다■ shut out 차단하다■ disappot 실망시키다■ need of ~가 필요하다■ get touch wh ~와 연락하다, 접촉하다■ LGBTQ 성 소수자(lbian(여성 동성애자), gay(남성 동성애자), bisexual(양성애자), transgenr(성전환자), queer(성 소수자 전반) 혹은 qutng(성 정체성에 관해 갈등하는 사람)).

THE BEST SEOUL GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS SEOUL

He says attus his native South Korea mean homosexualy is treated as a "foreign" issue. A Pew study found 57% of people surveyed South Korea fd homosexualy unacceptable.

Bee my superrs are all ( their) 40s and 50s and they don’t really know what gay is, and I was aaid I might lose my job. He thks many South Koreans see homosexualy as a foreign phenomenon – pecially the olr generatn. A Pew Rearch Center study found that 57% of people surveyed fd homosexualy unacceptable.

“Generally you nnot say you are gay openly South Korea, bee South Korea is a very nservative untry, ” explas Kang Myeongj, anizer of the Korea Queer Culture Ftival. I’m mentally sick … bee you don’t know anybody who’s gay you thk you’re the only crazy person. “Even though Korea is not very gay iendly… Korea lik to do whatever Ameri do, ” he lghs.

HOW GAY-FRIENDLY IS SOUTH KOREA?WH THE WTER OLYMPICS AROUND THE RNER, THE GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT IS ON {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY SAM MANZELLAFEBARY 5, 2018/12:03 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:3414PX;WIDTH:5120PX;}CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGSEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 15: PEOPLE ENJOY THE KOREA QUEER CULTURE FTIVAL 2017 ONT OF CY HALL ON JULY 15, 2017 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. THE ANNUAL FTIVAL PROMOTG THE LGBT RIGHTS HAD OCSNALLY BEEN DISPTED BY ANTI-LGBT GROUPS THE PAST, THOUGH HOMOSEXUALY IS NOT ILLEGAL THE UNTRY. (PHOTO BY CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAG)BY SAM MANZELLAFEBARY 5, 2018 / 12:03 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"HOW GAY-FRIENDLY IS SOUTH KOREA?","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2018-02-05T17:03:39.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2018-02-05T17:03:39.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"SAM MANZELLA","KEYWORDS":"TERNATNAL, SPORTS","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN JT A FEW DAYS, HUNDREDS OF ATHLET WILL SCEND ON PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA, FOR THE 2018 WTER OLYMPICS, CLUDG A NUMBER OF GAY AND LBIAN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT WHAT'S THE STATE OF LGBT EQUALY SOUTH KOREA?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HISTORILLY, THE UNTRY'S NSERVATIVE ERNMENT AND LARGE CHRISTIAN POPULATN HAS MEANT SLOW PROGRS: IN 2013, A PEW REARCH POLL DITED ALMOST 60% OF KOREANS BELIEVED SOCIETY SHOULDN'T ACCEPT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN LAWS AGAST SAME-SEX ACTIVY KOREA, AND THE AG OF NSENT ARE EQUAL FOR HETEROSEXUAL AND HOMOSEXUAL SEX. BUT BEG GAY IS STILL CULTURALLY TABOO: A MAJORY OF QUEER PEOPLE ARE STILL CLOSETED, AND THOSE WHO E OUT ARE OFTEN ENURAGED TO UNRGO NVERSN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"MOST KOREANS STILL KEEP THEIR SEXUALY PRIVATE," NOT SABRA CONSTANCE HILL, A CANADIAN TRANS WOMAN WHO'S LIVED SOUTH KOREA FOR NEARLY 13 YEARS. "WHILE MANY YOUNG PEOPLE WILL E OUT TO IENDS, A LOT STILL HI OM THEIR FAY."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LIKE THE RT OF ASIA, SOUTH KOREA LACKS MARRIAGE EQUALY, AND SAME-SEX UNNS AREN'T REGNIZED BY THE ERNMENT, EHER. SAVE FOR A FEW MUNICIPALI, THERE ARE NO LEGAL PROTECTNS AGAST DISCRIMATN. LGBT KOREANS N'T ADOPT CHILDREN OR OPENLY SERVE THE ARY. (LAST YEAR, A SOLDIER WAS SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS JAIL FOR HAVG NSENSUAL SEX WH ANOTHER SOLDIER.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CENSORSHIP IS NOT UNMON, AND THE ERNMENT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BLOCK GAY DATG APPS OM APP STOR KOREA. AND CHRISTIAN GROUPS LIKE SEOUL'S ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY CHRISTIAN SOLIDARY FUEL MPAIGNS TOUTG MARRIAGE AS STRICTLY BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN.CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAGSEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 15: ANTI SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ACTIVISTS ATTEND THE RALLY NEXT TO THE KOREA QUEER CULTURE FTIVAL 2017 ONT OF CY HALL ON JULY 15, 2017 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. THE ANNUAL FTIVAL PROMOTG THE LGBT RIGHTS HAD OCSNALLY BEEN DISPTED BY ANTI-LGBT GROUPS THE PAST, THOUGH HOMOSEXUALY IS NOT ILLEGAL THE UNTRY. (PHOTO BY CHUNG SUNG-JUN/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"AS THE SOCIAL MOVEMENT FOR THE LGBT MUNY BE MORE VISIBLE, THE MOVEMENT OF DISGTG FORC IS ALSO BEG MORE TENSE," SAYS CANDY YUN OF THE KOREAN SEXUAL MORY CULTURE AND RIGHTS CENTER. "THE HATE GROUPS KOREA ARE TRYG TO OVERTHROW OUR RIGHTS AND SPEWG THE SAME TIRED PROPAGANDA THAT HOMOSEXUALY IS THE E OF AIDS."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE TRANSGENR MUNY ISN'T MUCH BETTER: WH A FEW EXCEPTNS, TRANS KOREANS N ONLY CHANGE THEIR LEGAL GENR MARKERS AFTER THEY'VE UNRGONE SURGIL TRANSN AND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT ATTUS ARE CHANGG QUICKLY. ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE THE REPUBLIC, 60% OF WHOM SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALY. "WHILE KOREA IS STILL EPLY NSERVATIVE, THERE IS A TREND TOWARD EQUALY AND OPENNS," SAYS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A TELEVISED BATE LAST YEAR, PRINT MOON JAE- SAID HE OPPOSED HOMOSEXUALY. BUT SUPPORTERS SAY HE WAS ONLY SAVG FACE ONT OF NSERVATIV. FOUR MONTHS LATER, AN LGBT RIGHTS GROUP WON A LANDMARK SU ALLOWG TO LEGALLY REGISTER AS A CHARY. (THE SEOUL METROPOLAN GOVERNMENT, THE MISTRY OF JTICE AND THE NATNAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSN HAD ALL TRIED TO BLOCK .)ED JONES/AFP/GETTY IMAGPARTICIPANT 'SEEA' POS FOR A PHOTO DURG A 'GAY PRI' GATHERG SEOUL ON JULY 15, 2017.THOANDS OF PEOPLE CELEBRATED GAY RIGHTS WH SONG, DANCE AND A MARCH SEOUL ON JULY 15, AMID RA AND BOISTERO PROTTS BY NSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS. RELIG SOUTH KOREANS HAVE BEEN A LOUD FIXTURE AT THE ANNUAL PARA FOR YEARS, HOLDG A RIVAL ANTI-HOMOSEXUALY RALLY WHILE TRYG TO PHYSILLY BLOCK THE MARCH. / AFP PHOTO / ED JONES (PHOTO CRED SHOULD READ ED JONES/AFP/GETTY IMAG){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN 2015, ANIZERS OF KOREA'S ANNUAL PRI EVENT, THE QUEER CULTURE FTIVAL, HAD TO GO TO URT TO OVERTURN A POLICE BAN. IN 2017, THE EVENT SAW A RERD-BREAKG TURNOUT WH 85,000 {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"EVERY YEAR, [THE FTIVAL] GROWS," HILL SAYS. "TEN YEARS AGO, WAS ATTEND MOSTLY BY THOSE THE LGBT MUNY. BUT NOW MORE ALLI SEEM TO BE SHOWG UP."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CERTA NEIGHBORHOODS SEOUL, LIKE ITAEWON AND HONGDAE, HAVE GAY AND LGBT-IENDLY CLUBS, AND HILL SAYS SHE GENERALLY FEELS SAFE. "IN MY TIME HERE, SOME OF MY BIGGT ALLI HAVE BEEN KOREANS. KOREANS ARE GENERALLY KD PEOPLE... ONCE YOU ARE THEIR GOOD GRAC, THEY HAVE YOUR BACK."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MEDIA REPRENTATNS HAVE EXPAND, AS WELL: FILMMAKER KIM JHO GWANG-SOO AND ACTOR-POLICIAN HONG SEOK-CHEON ARE BOTH OUT CELEBRI. HARISU IS A WELL-KNOWN TRANS POP SGER AND ACTRS. EARLIER THIS MONTH, OPENLY GAY K-POP STAR HOLLAND RELEASED "NEVERLAND," HIS BUT MIC {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE CLIP, WHICH FEATUR A SAME-SEX ROMANCE AND KISS, HAS GARNERED MORE THAN 4 LN VIEWS ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

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