4 LGBT K-pop idols who came out despite discrimination, from trot star Kwon Do-woon and rapper Aquinas, to former Wassup member Jiae and Idol School darling Som Hein

Aug 2 , 2021

Former Wassup member Jiae, High School Rapper 3 star Aquinas and Som Hein all came out as LGBTQ+. Photos: @ji.aee; @somgodld/Instagram, @chanhyuksito/Twitter

Former Wassup member Jiae and High School Rapper 3 star Aquinas revealed that they’re bisexual on Instagram, sharing encouraging messages with fans

Som Hein got flak for her confession coinciding with a school bullying scandal, while Kwon Do-woon and his boyfriend broke up just two weeks after his reveal

While other areas of the world may have become more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community over the past few decades, it’s no secret that being openly LGBTQ+ can still be very difficult in the K-pop world.

However, recent emerging trends in Korea seem to have encouraged more Korean celebrities to come out of the closet – here are a few of their stories.

Former Wassup member Jiae

How they open up about their sexual orientations varies from star to star. Some choose to come out publicly on TV, while others release statements through their agencies. Former Wassup member Jiae opted for a platform where she could communicate directly with her fans – Instagram.

On July 15, Jiae uploaded a photo of herself and another girl on her Instagram with the caption, “It was difficult, hard, eventful, whether LG or BT.”

But this wasn’t the first time she opened up about her story. In January last year, the singer-turned-vlogger came out as bisexual by posting a photo of her girlfriend on her Instagram story, saying: “I love men and women. Do you understand?”

After seeing divided opinions from the public in response to her July 15 post, Jiae went on to reveal that she is suffering psychologically because of haters’ comments. According to SPOTV News, Jiae posted on her Instagram July 23 saying, “Please do not see me as a sinner. You better care about yourself, not me.”

Aquinas (Kang Min-soo)