QuoteDisplay More
How idols coming out could reshape K-pop — or expose its limits
While Bain, the vocalist of K-pop boy band JUST B came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community during a concert Tuesday (local time), his declaration has sparked a discussion in the broader K-pop scene about how such moments — still rare in the industry — may shape its future.
The singer made the announcement during a stop on the group's "JUST ODD" world tour at The Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles, telling the crowd mid-show, "I am proud to be a part of the LGBTQ community." His words were met with loud cheers and applause as he waved a rainbow flag onstage.
Though several K-pop artists have shared their sexual orientations in recent years, Bain is the first active member of a Korean boy group to come out publicly.
Earlier this year in March, Lara, an Indian American member of HYBE Label's U.S.-based girl group KATSEYE, also came out via the fan platform Weverse, adding to the slowly growing visibility of queer figures in K-pop.
Tradition to representation
Korea's entertainment industry has long been shaped by a conservative cultural backdrop, whereby open discussions of sexual orientation have remained limited.
Queer representation began to surface in the mainstream in 2000 when TV personality Hong Seok-cheon became the first Korean celebrity to come out publicly in a magazine interview. The announcement sparked intense public debate at the time and led to his temporary removal from major broadcast appearances.
Other entertainers who later came out — including Jiae, a former member of the girl group WA$$UP; Som He-vin, a contestant on Mnet's 2017 audition program "Idol School"; and trot singer Gwon Do-woon — similarly faced public scrutiny and career challenges.
Despite these barriers, trailblazers such as Harisu, one of Korea's first openly transgender celebrities, have continued to challenge industry norms.
In 2023, transgender YouTuber Pung Ja became the first transgender woman to win an award from national broadcaster MBC at its end-of-year entertainment awards — a milestone in the media landscape.
In a similar development, Oscar-winning veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung also received widespread support just last week after sharing in an overseas interview that her eldest son is gay and happily married to a man.
Yi Ho-rim, an activist with Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea, expressed hope that the tide is turning.
"In the most recent cases — like Bain's coming-out and Youn Yuh-jung's comments about her son — I've seen mostly welcoming and positive responses," Yi told The Korea Times. "That alone feels like a signal that Korean society is beginning to shift."
Yi also noted that Bain's agency responded by stating the matter was "a personal issue," which she interpreted as a respectful stance that neither sensationalized nor downplayed his announcement.
"It showed that his declaration was simply a matter of expressing who he is — not something to be judged. Compared to the time when Hong Seok-cheon lost his broadcasting career for coming out, this shows that even if the pace feels slow, change is happening."
K-pop at crossroads
Despite the progress, experts point out that the highly curated, fantasy-driven nature of K-pop has long left little room for sexual minorities to live their lives openly.
"The K-pop business model has long been rooted in idealized fantasy," culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said. "Agencies have often gone as far as banning idols from dating, in order to maintain a certain appeal to fans."
In this context, he said, issues like sexual orientation, which might conflict with conservative social values, were often treated as taboo.
"But as K-pop becomes increasingly global, points of tension are emerging between international values and Korea's traditional norms," Jung said. "Not only are more global fans entering the scene, but artists themselves are learning from global values, leading to gradual changes."
He added that K-pop production companies must now move beyond fantasy-based marketing and adopt more grounded, globally conscious strategies.
"It's time to move toward a reality-based business model. No agency today can afford to target only domestic fans. As the fan base becomes more global, so too must the perspectives of the industry," Jung said. "What we're seeing is a shift from local fantasies to global strategies."
Yi echoed Jung's view, stressing the importance of inclusive representation for the many LGBTQ+ individuals who may not yet feel seen.
"When celebrities come out, it gives hope to everyday people who may think, 'Maybe one day I can share my truth too.' Even if they never do, it helps them realize they're not alone," Yi said.
"There are certainly LGBTQ+ fans within K-pop fandoms, and they're not a small minority," she added. "Given how much the industry relies on its fans, it's only right that it evolves to become more inclusive."
Source: Koreatimes.co.kr
