JUST B’s Bain and KATSEYE’s Lara Make Successive Coming-Outs – Will This Shape the Future of K-POP?

As more active K-POP idols disclose their LGBTQ+ identities, discussions about potential changes across the entire industry have intensified. JUST B’s Bain publicly came out as gay during a LA world tour on April 22, following which KATSEYE’s member Lara, part of HYBE’s label, revealed she is queer through the fan platform Weverse in March. These consecutive coming-outs demonstrate that visibility for sexual minorities is gradually increasing within what remains a conservative K-POP industry. Coming outs by active K-POP idols were extremely rare until now. Approximately 25 years have passed since TV host Hong Seok-cheon became the first person in South Korea’s entertainment industry to disclose his sexuality in a magazine interview. Since then, in 2020, WA$$UP member Jiae revealed she is bisexual, and Som He-vin, a participant in Mnet’s audition program “Idol School” in 2017, also came out as bisexual. Trot singer Kwon Do-woon also disclosed he is gay, but all of them faced severe public criticism and career crises after doing so. South Korea’s entertainment industry has long been influenced by conservative culture. Public discussions about sexual orientation were limited, and celebrities who previously came out encountered social controversy and career challenges. Nevertheless, transgender YouTuber Pengja set a milestone in the media landscape by winning an award at MBC’s year-end entertainment awards in 2023. Additionally, actress Yoon Yo-jung, who has won Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress, recently received widespread support after revealing in an overseas media interview that her eldest son is gay and has happily married a man. Lee Ho-rim, an activist with the Korean Alliance for LGBTQ+ Rights, senses signs of social change. “In recent cases like Bain’s coming-out and Yoon Yo-jung’s statements, we’ve generally seen welcoming and positive reactions,” she told The Korea Times. “That alone seems to be a signal that Korean society is starting to change.” In particular, Bain’s agency describing the matter as a “personal issue” is also interpreted as a meaningful shift. It indicates that what was once a taboo in the entertainment industry regarding idols’ sexual identities is now giving way to an atmosphere that respects individuals’ free choices. However, the fact that same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Korea and that discrimination against LGBTQ+ people remains widespread remains a significant challenge. Human Rights Watch also continued to express concerns about LGBTQ+ rights in Korea in its 2023 report. To what extent the successive coming-outs of K-POP idols can overcome these structural limitations and whether this will lead to cultural change across the entire industry will likely remain key issues in the future.