Korean Gay Celebrity Who Deserves Huge Respect
Just the other day, I came across a news item that made me go, “Wow, really?” 9 in 2021, 19 in 2022, 18 in 2023, 21 in 2024, 12 already in the first 4 months of 2025. As if you couldn’t have guessed, I’m of course referring to the number of queer K-dramas produced and aired. My futile attempt at levity aside, this is a surprising number, wouldn’t you say?
Conservative vs. Liberal. That used to mean something entirely different from what it looks like today. This is true in the United States and it’s painfully obvious in South Korea also.
But this isn’t about making a political statement. It’s more about being open, and preserving the most fundamental, inalienable right that we should all be born with—that we are all equal.
I don’t think I have to tell you this, but Korea is a very patriarchal society. It used to be conservative in the traditional sense of the word, but I don’t know what to call it these days because the powers that be are routinely espousing authoritarian rhetoric without regards to protecting the Constitution and/or serving the public.1
But at the same time, Korea is also oddly uber-liberal in certain aspects—for example, the country’s legal system seems to be more concerned about the personal rights of the criminals, instead of the victims. I’m not certain that is a liberal ideology either.
Also, (this is just my opinion but) Korea seems to be more accepting of the LGBTQ community than US, for example, as shown by the increasing number of queer dramas made.
So, with that, I want to talk about this one man who almost singlehandedly—this is not a hyperbole—changed the whole Korean society in this aspect.
His name is 홍석천 Hong Seok-cheon, the first openly gay TV celebrity who “came out” in September of 2000.
Hong, a Hanyang University graduate with a degree in theater, made his debut as a comic actor in the mid 1990s. I can’t say that I was a fan of his—I thought he was funny but was generally indifferent, like I am towards 99.9% of all show biz people.
Not that any of these matters, but it’s not weird to come across a Korean man who talk and act feminine. There are also a lot of men who wear (light, unnoticeable) makeup, especially when they are going to job interviews, blind dates, or just because. It doesn’t mean anything and it’s socially accepted as a part of normal daily lives.
So, when Hong delivered his lines and carried himself in that sort of feminine way on TV, not many people gave it any second thought.
Then he dropped the bombshell, so to speak, and as you can imagine, he was crucified. On a scale that was probably not seen before.
Think about that for a moment. In a rigid social structure like Korea, to announce publicly that he’s gay, 25 years ago. And he’s still the only one!
Hong admitted later that he fully expected all the stone-throwing and knew that his life will never be the same again. What he did NOT expect was the cold shoulder he was given from the existing gay community.
He recalled receiving much hate from certain circles of the gay community saying, “Why him? There are so many other more popular gay celebrities who can make the bigger impact. Who does he think he is? Is he trying to get more attention for himself?”
Cut off immediately from any and all TV work, he turned himself into a successful restaurant owner/chef in Itaewon 이태원2 area. During his heyday, he owned and operated as many as 9 restaurants, all of which were within a few block-radius and well-received. Because of his business’s popularity, he ended up helping the entire neighborhood that was on the downtrend to flourish again, prompting fellow business owners to spur him on to run for public office. From a social pariah to a local business legend/leader in a few short years.
He never blamed anyone for anything and he never carried himself as the sort of “the torch bearer” although everyone knew that he was. He knew how to make fun of himself in the most unassuming way, he never complained about how unfairly he was treated, and he never cried “equal rights!” Knowingly or unknowingly, he slowly convinced the entire nation that he was just as same as you or me, someone with a good sense of humor, but with slightly different preferences. In hindsight, that conduct of his probably did so much more for the LGBTQ community, all the while he was most likely taking crap from all possible angles.
To my recollection, he never lost his smile, nor did he ever cry on TV (I’m sure he did privately many times). But in one talk show, when one of the co-hosts Jeong Hyeong-don (정형돈, a comedian himself) who remained quiet almost all throughout the episode just listening to Hong, said, “Have I ever fought for something so valuable to me like Seok-cheon has?”, Hong broke down.
I always enjoy his appearances on various TV shows because he’s funny and he makes the show lively. And I never miss his weekly YouTube channel show—named Gaypig!—going around Korean traditional markets and less well-known eateries and introducing them.
What impresses me the most about his show is that these traditional market vendors—mostly of older generation folks who tend to be the most conservative and rigid—will openly crack gay jokes with him and laugh together, never at him. Think about how far the country has come.
You might ask, “well, that’s only possible because it’s Hong.” Maybe there’s an element of that, but. There is another very popular transgender person who is actually now more popular than Hong himself who gets the same nonchalant, nonspecial treatment from the same restaurant owners and traditional market vendors.
In the most unexpected way, Korea has come to drop the prejudice and move towards acceptance and equality. This, all thanks to Hong’s courage and suffering.
Am I talking about SK or US or both? You decide.
A district in central Seoul known for a lot of foreign influence and nightlife. Also, where a lot of gay/transgender clubs are located.
Romans 1.
LGBQ about .01% of the population. No one cares except about their mental state. But we get it shoved in our faces constantly.. As long as they don't teach this garbage at schools like in the US.