#i've been steadily accumulating information about this group and this performer on my own for months

[storkmuffin]

Hi again! I’m the anon that asked if you could elaborate about the Jongho statement. Thanks for taking the time to explain! In addition to your bullet point about how Seonghwa doesn’t mind the term ‘wife’, have you seen how he’s openly accepting of being called ‘mom’ or ‘mommy’? I really love how Seonghwa doesn’t fall into the stereotypical traits of masculinity. I find his mentality of just doing him like wearing whatever he wants now to be one of the many reasons I love him! Do you think he would ever come out or make an announcement about being queer? This is totally getting into just my own personal thoughts but I get mixed feelings with Seonghwa where I think he is queer or if he’s just more in tune with his feminine side. What do you think?

OK so this is where being a Korean person in Korea who is fluent in English and well versed in American pop culture (up to a point) hits a limit. I actually don't understand what you guys are doing when you do the whole 'mommy' and 'mother' thing. The cultural position of Mother in Korea is completely asexual , and self-abnegating in the Giving Tree style - she is the one who sacrifices, who care-takes, who suffers in silence, is all accepting and never critical. (Personally this is why I think so many of us Korean women are refusing to become mothers, bc this role fucking sucks as defined.)

But when you guys say Mother - it means something else, doesn't it? So if Seonghwa is happy to hear it, maybe he understands what you're getting at?

In any case, I think he's actually queer and that's why he is willing to show himself in touch with his feminine side. You can have a gentle and soft persona off-stage, and many many many Korean boy idols absolutely cultivate exactly that image, without going over into being actually as feminine or queer as Seonghwa has done.

Moreover, to be super cynical about this, it's a pretty clever marketing strategy for someone who wants to have a long term show business career when his home base is Korean women. Because Korean culture is so confrontational, energetic and competitive, us tired modern women are desperate for the relaxing, the harmless, the soft, and the gentle in men. Being able to present yourself as the super-handsome, wild-on-stage man who, off-stage, in a fantasy version of 'real life,' is at heart a fastidious, soft-spoken good girl just like you? ABSOLUTE CATNIP. Also, so smart! It helps him differentiate himself from the rest of his group too, who tend to stay within established masculine roles. Wooyoung dancing in a skirt or Yeosang being very pretty isn't the same as being feminine, to me.

This isn't what you asked, but I will also add: Seonghwa puts on the 'soft spoken' voice which isn't his actual speaking voice. Wooyoung, who is irrepressible and competitive, has expertly imitated the 'muted' voice effect that Seonghwa does when speaking to Atiny in one of their behind the scenes things right after Seonghwa said something, asking' Why can't you just talk using your normal voice?' for example. Wooyoung exposed him on the spot like that, because he knows it's very seductive to Korean women lol.

OH and - you actually asked this - do I think he'll ever come out? And actually announce like, hi, I'm gay/bi/pan and this is my boyfriend? I mean, it doesn't seem likely, but if you know anything about Korea, you'll know that when we experience a shift, the shift is abrupt, fast and complete. So I wouldn't rule it out, but I will say - I feel myself to be living in very mainstream Korean middle class society, and I work for a very big corporation, I live in Seoul, and I don't know a single out person from work, school, social network, or church in my real life. It's a chicken and egg thing, but I do think that until more ordinary, every day queer people can come out, and like date in public like straights do, people who need to stay on the right side of public opinion, like idols and actors, wouldn't be ok coming out until the 'main' time of their career is over.