Progress is slow for Korea’s transgenders

[Shana A]

Progress is slow for Korea's transgenders
'Ever since I was young, I knew I was a woman, although I had the body of a man.' - Kim Hye-sook
May 11, 2011

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2936012

With the 30-second commercial, the nation's first transgender entertainer, Harisu, made her television debut a decade ago, knocking down a once impenetrable barrier for one of the most repressed minority groups in the country.

It was hard to join a conversation back then without her name popping up. Everyone was talking about her. (The name Harisu originates from "hot issue.") Some raved about Harisu's beauty, but others loathed her for being different.

The then-26-year-old brought sexual minorities to the public's attention. It was the first time that most Koreans had encountered a transgender, whether on television or in person.