Queer Footsteps in Korean Pop Culture

Holland (홀랜드), debuted on January 22nd, 2018 with his first single, Neverland. The teaser itself left millions asking questions in hurried excitement:

Who was this new idol?Why is he caressing the face of another man?Could our 'Twentygayteen' prayers have been answered?

The answer? YES! Of course.The music video finally dropped, as did our jaws. Opening with soft piano chords, it transitions into a smooth hip-hop style beat. These layered together and introducing Holland's vocals transport us to our own personal Neverland as he tells the story of his inner struggle learning to accept who he is despite what people would say about him. The video itself is rated R, under the Korea Media Rating Board, for it's portrayal of a same-sex romance.

Certainly this isn't a new topic, considering South Korea isn't exactly as openly accepting of queer culture to the point where America stands today. (Though I won't be too quick to put America on a pedestal.)And while it's never been illegal on the political aspect aside from the banning and criminalization of queer military members, the societal pressure from a traditional-style nuclear family loving Korea, is still against it. With most opposition stemming from homophobic Christian Protestants, who themselves quote that they "do not hate the sinner, but hate the sin," are trying their utmost by lobbying politicians to enact legislature akin to their own personal, clouded views. It's an uphill battle from this point as an overall, but remains a battle in itself all the same.

It goes without saying that there is a strong fight for LGBT equality within the country today, especially as support is ever growing and those against continue to waver. There are several discrimination protections in place for certain sections of the country, but same-sex marriages still are not recognized despite constant petitioning from groups all over the country. Thankfully, mainstream media within South Korea recently is becoming more and more open with writing and showing queer characters in TV shows and advertisements.

Thus bringing us back to our golden boy.

Though Holland has no major music label backing his name, and he was relatively unknown within the K-pop community, the denizens of the internet quickly took to this new hopeful. Ushering in a 1 million view milestone on his music video just within the first 24 hours of its release. Holland certainly isn't the first, nor the last, to brave his identity so openly within this industry; but we are all standing by to support his career and see what he has to offer us as a unique representative.What can we expect from him in the future, and will we finally begin to see societal shake-ups in South Korean media? This could pave the way for more queer artists to finally bloom from their reserves and let them have their own voices be heard loud and clear for a receptive world.The more accepting we are of LGBT themes in media, the rest should ideally be able to follow. It's a refreshing sight to see your sexuality represented in a culture you heavily follow, whether it be South Korean-specific or music in general. If you truly know music you'll know that it transcends language barriers, and is a unique way to connect us all singularly. May we continue to shine brighter from here!