#korean lgbt

[commajade]

link to article here

edit 2: the writer of the article fact checked and fixed most of the incorrect information!! their legal name (so u can search for more sources about them) 윤김명우/yoon kim myung-woo and they are the third owner of lesvos starting 1999, which started in sinchon in 1996 and has moved to hongdae! it is in fact the first lesbian bar in seoul and there are now several more lesbian bars, clubs, and cafes. yoon kim myung-woo is a very respected and well known figure in the vibrant and fast growing skorean lgbt community that comes to speak at many lgbt events.

also the article is primarily about the difficulty of passing the lgbt nondiscrimination bill and some key activists in the movement. please read it with a grain of salt because it does not mention at all the role of US neocolonial power and US militarism in south korean political conservatism! there would be no law prohibiting same sex relations in the military if the rok military was not modeled off of US military structure and law! and it would not be such a large factor in gay and trans people's lives if the US would let the korean war and armistice end so mandatory military conscription of every person assigned male in the country could finally end.

[lgbtally4ever]

HAPPY MERRY ENDING

[jiora]

PRIDE Month 왔어!

https://studyinyang.myspreadshop.com/rainbow+icecream+in+korean-A6459d7a1151f5c7abac993cc?productType=1358&sellable=74a9jgj3wNtrJ5JJwk5p-1358-8&appearance=17

[indigomood]

Extraordinary Attorney Woo  (2022)

Imagine Me & You (2005)

[dropthedemiurge]

Lee Taevin, the man you are! I decided to actually stan him after Love for Love's Sake and support him as an actor in all the other works, not necessarily BLs, but he KEEPS SURPRISING ME

He just keeps on choosing complicated and deep queer roles and deliberately seeks them out to give them justice, I adore him so much.

[dekaydk]

LGBTQ CONTENT ALERT

Support the folks who make the content we crave

Producer of QL and BL content, Korea's Strongberry is small but scrappy and brought the world a lot more content than you might expect. The CEO had a live session a little while ago, and it was reposted with English subtitles yesterday. Among the takeaways: they have a lot more interest from actors than they used to. Also, some of the content they have distributed was produced by others but needed a distribution outlet, so they are clearly a part of the ecosystem that might not otherwise exist.

It's nice and short, and he says there will be a live session with the actors during March (date TBD). Watch this and drive up the stats! Make their investors realize they have a great audience! 😀

Above all, check out their other content on Gagaoolala and YouTube.

[lgbtally4ever]

I LOVE Korean BLs (LGBT series), Even if they don’t have sex. Even if there’s only a kiss. Doesn’t matter, because they’re romantic AF and always give you the feelz!!!

The absolute best take down of an ex ever. A+. He tore him to pieces without ever breaking a sweat. And then to end it with a darling handhold? Right in front of the ex on the bathroom floor? Perfection. @absolutebl This is the kind of takedown we need more of.

[bengiyo]

Love in the Big City Part 2: The Weight of Homophobia

I’ve been struggling to write about this week’s episodes. The way Yeong feels so worn down by the homophobia around him feels suffocating in a way that I haven’t had to deal with in a long time. I remain impressed with the way this adaptation brought this story to the screen, and genuinely like many of its changes.

The Internalized Homophobia Suffocates

The first thing I noticed in this section was how much quieter Yeong felt. He didn’t have the pep in his step that had him and Mi Ae skipping through grocery stores together. He wasn’t dancing in the street. He’s spending a great deal of time with his mom, and now dating a closet case. The weight of all of his pain and suffering has seemingly dimmed his light. 

@impala124 summed up the comparison between the major relationships of Parts 1 and 2 well with “Part 1 was about the loneliness that comes with not conforming to societal expectations for Yeong and Part 2 was about the pitfalls of conforming to societal expectations and how it manifests in their actions towards others.” @shinjiikar1 further detailed how both his mom and Hyung hurt Yeong with their behaviors, particularly how Christianity plays into this. I find myself lingering with the sense of futility that the expectations of heteronormativity inflicts upon us. In Part 1, Yeong found himself unable to connect with Mi Ae and Nam Gyu because of their conformity to heteronormativity, and in this section both Yeong’s mom and Hyung try to enforce that heteronormativity on Yeong. 

With his mom, she had him committed to a mental institution when she caught him with a boy. However she may feel about that now, it’s clear that she will not engage directly with his queer reality. She expressed relief when she didn’t get to meet Yeong Soo, and she will not read his books. She toes a line for herself by taking clipping of articles about her son, and letting him find that she saved a picture of him with his then boyfriend, but she will never say anything else aloud. Their relationship is difficult, and I found myself returning to the final scene with Chiron’s mom in Moonlight (2016) when we left them in the park. 

With Hyung, I find myself thinking about @lurkingshan’s observations about the way episode 3 used familiar romance tropes to build up the relationship with hyung before crushing it in episode 4. It’s easy to see how the beginning of that romance with Hyung was so intriguing. Yeong was tired, lonely, and dealing with the slow death of his mother. He had removed the couch and TV from the apartment, making it clear he’s not doing any group fun in there anymore. It was inevitable that a closet case like Yeong Soo would let Yeong down, and I’m impressed that the show gained the same mortification in Yeong Soo writing that horrible article that I still feel about him sending Yeong an edit of his own goddamned diary. 

I can’t find the comment now, but I think @wen-kexing-apologist commented about how both Umma and Hyung are obsessed with appearances. Despite her declining health, Umma tries to maintain her physical appearance, and performs Christian sacrifice by writing lines from the bible. Yeong Soo wearing ragged clothes, carries a back, speaks on philosophy, plays sports, and more to maintain his masculine appearance, and only wants to be with Yeong where others cannot see him. It’s so exhausting to be inside of the closet, and the paranoia it inflicts on you is mind numbing. I’m so glad that Yeong wasn’t actually alone with this man in this version. Finally, I keep thinking about the way @solitaryandwandering noted that the ideas of ownership play heavily with everyone’s actions in this section. So much of compulsory heteronormativity is about what others think we should be doing for them, and how they wield shame as a weapon. 

Lastly, I want to comment that I appreciated the tasteful way the director chose to show Yeong’s darkest moment. I liked that we didn’t get close-ups or see his face, and I like that we cut away from the moment in his apartment to when he wakes up in the hospital. 

The T-aras Remain The Best Change

I was surprised when the show introduced them so early in Part 1, but I’ve grown to love the T-aras so much in this show. They embody perfectly the kinds of gay friends I had in my 20s. We couldn’t step into each other’s lives to meddle and fix everything, but they’re always there for you. They also have great instincts. 

It’s notable for me that they seemed iffy about Nam Gyu in Part 1. While much of that was likely them being catty about him being older, old-fashioned, and kind of a dork, they recognized that Yeong wasn’t actually into him that much. Nam Gyu was outside of the culture with them, and that builds in distance. In this part, they noticed immediately that they couldn’t tell if Yeong Soo was actually queer. That is a huge sign that Yeong Soo wasn’t going to be good for Yeong, because Yeong lives his life publicly. Yeong Soo doesn’t want people to know, and as such he would never vibe with the T-aras. It’s also notable for me that Yeong Soo never got to meet the T-aras, which at least Nam Gyu did. 

Finally, this show made me sob openly when they rushed to the hospital and fought with staff to get to their friend. Only family is allowed to be in the room, but they would not let their friend go without him knowing that they were there. It’s so scary when you’re in the community because of how death stalks us, and I love this change to the story. The version of Young we get in the book is so unwell that he doesn’t think about all of these people around him, and I love this version of the story showing that he was loved. That his friends cared about him. When he flashed that heart sign to them and they answered back, I cried. I’m crying now even as I think about that moment. Queer friendship is so important to me, and I really love the way the adaptation expanded the role of the T-aras.

Anticipating Gyu-ho

I find myself feeling a small sense of dread about Gyu-ho’s entry into the story. We’ve seen two pairs of relationships in Yeong’s life fail because of compulsory heteronormativity, and I just know that seeing Yeong be unable to build something long-term with Gyu-ho on screen will devastate me. The losses and wounds Yeong has taken from all of the previous history will seep into his relationship with Gyu-ho, and it’s not going to be pretty. 

[yourdailyqueer]

Justin David Sullivan

Gender: Non binary (he/she/they)

Sexuality: Queer

DOB: N/A 

Ethnicity: Mexican, Korean

Nationality: American

Occupation: Actor, singer, songwriter, drag artist, activist

[commajade]

the seoul queer culture festival/seoul pride has been growing exponentially in size over the last two decades (from ~50 people in 2000 to ~135,000 in 2019) and the conservative pushback from christian groups and police have been increasing as well. every year church groups host massive protests and rallies with homophobic slogans and chanting on their sound systems right next to the pride parade, i've seen them. this year, the government outright denied the lgbt organizers a parade permit and gave that spot to a christian organization instead. the sqcf's organizers are accepting help via paypal, please support them if you can!

here's an article from the korea herald:

[lgbtally4ever]

A First Love Story

Short Korean LGBT FILM

Free on GAGAOOLALA

[yurimother]

Korean GL Film 'The Summer' Tops Independent Arts Box Office

Korean Yuri aeni film The Summer (Geu Yeoreum) reached the top spot at the Korean independent art film box office upon its June 7 debut. The film is one of a few queer animations produced in Korea.

The 61-minute long movie follows the life of 18-year-old Yi-gyeong (Yoon Ah-Young), a quiet, ordinary student who meets Suyi (Song Harim), an athletic girl who stirs up new romantic feelings in her, causing her to realize her identity. Over the next two years, their relationship helps both women grow, but ironically, because of this development, Yi-gyeong realizes her thoughts about Suyi have begun to change.

The theatrical edition of The Summer is an edited version of Red Dog Culture House's 2021 mini-series net animation. The series contains seven 10-minute episodes and streamed on Laftel, which co-produced the series, in Korea from September 2021 until its conclusion in October. Laftel crowdfunded the series during the Summer of 2021.

Ji-won Han directors both the original net animation and the theatrical adaptation and serves as its writer. It is based on the short story of the same name by best-selling author Eun-young Choi. The short story won the Young Writers Award in 2017. It has received positive word of mouth and praise for its music and animation.

The Summer is currently showing in theaters nationwide in Korea. Neither the theatrical version nor the original net animation are licensed for international release or streaming.

Source: Kyunghyang Shinmun

[frayed-at-the-seams]

My top ten bl dramas (with kissing scenes but no sex scenes)

Not in any particular order.

Sometimes I want a romance but I don’t need the sex scenes. Sometimes I just like the kissing and the plot. So here are my top ten.

- 2G ether. Season 1&2.

A adorable fake dating story with entertaining side couples and a well written plot. It is an easy watch with a comedic story line. Any problems in season 1 and any questions left unanswered are covered in season 2. The main couple have great chemistry and the side couples seem to match it well.

It is one of my favourites because it is such a chill drama to watch and rewatch. It is one I tend to go for when I’m tired or needing serotonin.

Available with English subtitles on YouTube.

- Minato Shouji coin laundry. Season 1.

A romantic comedy with a strangers to lovers trope. The plot revolves around a 17 yr old in love with a 27 yr old man. That put me off at first but the age gap is really well covered. The whole plot revolves around the age gap and how it affects them. It is both light hearted while dealing with the honest dynamic of their relationship. Both characters go through a wholesome journey of development, with Shin growing more mature and Akira learning to let himself be loved.

There is hints of a side couple but those characters go through development rather than have their relationship end romantically, which I really enjoyed.

The dialogue is very well written and the actors have really good chemistry together. Despite the age gap, it became one of my favourites in a very short amount of time. It is all so well done and they handled the dynamic wonderfully.

Though I did not like season 2 cause the writing was terrible. Still acted well but bad plot writing.

Available on Bilibili or dramacool.

- We Best Love, N1 for you & Fighting Mr second.

Ignoring the two different titles, this is season 1 and 2 of the same drama.

It is a enemies to lover dynamic in season 1 with a enemies to lovers dynamic once again in season 2.

While the plot is overly dramatic at times and cliche, it is very well acted and the actors really work with their lines and make the cliche parts fit so well. They have amazing chemistry (especially in season 2) and I love their dynamics. The side couples don’t get much screen time but they fit very well with the plot and the dynamics of the main characters.

When it comes to pure chemistry, this couple is one of my all time favourites. They speak so much with their actions. It’s a drama that will entertain throughout. I didn’t get bored at all.

Available on Bilibili and Dramacool.

- Semantic Error.

Another Enemies to lovers trope between two opposing characters. Opposites attract between a digital media student and a computing student. The plot is well paced and the actors spark off each other very well. The character development is explored well and the filming style adds such a tension and uniqueness to the scenes. One of the reasons why it is a favourite is how the filming style works with the characters and highlights their personalities. Everything just flows.

There are no side couples in this drama however the side characters are well portrayed and fully dimensional. I enjoyed how each character’s dynamics worked with those around them.

Available on Viki or Bilibili.

- Sotus The series.

A real slow burn between a new student and his head hazer. Although the hazing put me off at first the show went to explain all viewpoints really well. It explained why the Hazers continued the tradition of hazing as well as the students who were experiencing it. The relationship is a real slow burn but it’s done so well and scenes had me laughing and crying.

It includes other lgbt side characters and a straight side couple who are cute and go through their own personal growth.

An old bl (2016) but a good one. It was one of my first ones and I will never get over it.

Available on KissKH, Bilibili and YouTube.

- Takara’s Treasure.

A more recently released drama, this show was so wholesome and cute. It dealt with a character’s journey as he joins a university in Tokyo after living in a small town his whole life. His slow burn relationship with his senior is very cute and green flag.

I sort of wish that there were more kiss scenes but I did enjoy the ones we go.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Love for Love’s sake.

Another more recent drama. This one had me sobbing and giggling. For what seemed to be an intriguing plot about a boy seemingly playing out a video game where the goal is to make another boy happy turned into a really deep portrayal of depression and the loneliness of being lgbt. The romance and the relationships as they develop in this drama was all well paced and wholesome. The main character is iconic and he fights for what he wants which is great to watch. The drama itself was very well filmed. The cinematography didn’t distract too much from the plot but also made itself known and memorable. The pace was good though it could have done with maybe another episode towards the end, but with the time they had the pacing was pretty good.

This drama leads itself towards theory and not all the questions are answered but that is a good thing as an ending is provided but there is still enough to make one curious.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Why R U? (Korean version).

While I enjoyed the original Thai version, the Korean version out paced it for me. While the Thai one had many side couples and confusing plot lines the Korean one keeps it just to two main couples. It deletes the cheating element of the second couple and made it more wholesome rather than dramatic. The first couple actually starts as enemies to lovers and their dynamic is very funny. They fight all the time and swear at each other before slowly starting to admire and appreciate each other before falling for each other. The show was well paced and very lighthearted. The cinematography wasn’t bad but could have been more fun.

Though it’s from the same books as the Thai one, it feel almost like a completely different drama. This one had me laughing much more.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Stay With Me.

This is a Chinese drama based off a pervious BL drama called Addicted Heroin. Compared to the previous adaptation, the toxicity is taken out. Stay with me is mostly found family vibes between two step brothers, who don’t know that they’re stepbrothers for a long time, and how their relationship develops from friends to family. Whether this be family in a romantic sense between them or not, the show leaves that up to the viewer.

For a Chinese bl we do get kisses on the cheeks! Although I would like them to kiss properly. The show focuses on them growing as people and not just their relationship, which I enjoyed.

However, the show does end on a sob inducing cliffhanger and there has been no news about a season 2 yet. So watch at your peril. The show itself was well paced and very well acted.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Unintentional Love story.

This drama is of a young man who was wrongly fired from his job finding a reclusive ceramicist. He is told that if he can get the famous artist to sign with his old company, then he will get his job back. What follows is a slow burn romance with misunderstandings and great character development. Since the characters are all adults in their late twenties to early thirties, the show has a different feel compared to a lot of other shows where the characters are teenagers or young adults. These characters are running businesses and having to deal with issues such as money problems and loans. It’s nice to see such realistic things playing a big part in a character’s motivation. Yet they still have moments fuelled by their feelings and impulses. But they grow and learn and that’s what makes this drama really wholesome and lovely to watch.

The side couple in this is left unresolved but with a hopeful note. However there is a history between them that is not fully explained. There has been a movie based on their backstory that has come out recently, yet I do not know if it resolves their relationship in the show.

One of the things I love in this show is the costumes. As the sunshine character takes on more depth and grows as a person, his clothing colour palette gets darker. While for the grumpy character who learns to open himself up again, his palette gets lighter and by the end of the show their outfits have swapped colours. That is a detail which I loved when watching.

Available on Viki or Bilibili.

Here you go. These are my top ten dramas with no sex scenes. While some of them may have making out scenes that fade to black, they are not explicit and the drama plots focus more on the storylines or the character growth.

So for anyone who doesn’t like watching sex scenes, I recommend the dramas above.

Hope you enjoy.

Feel free to ask about anymore in the comments.

[indigomood]

Method | 메소드 (2017) dir. Pang Eun-Jin

[equalv]

South Korean tv shows with lgbt* characters

Because so many people liked my post for german tv shows with queer characters, I thought I‘d compile lists for other countries as well.

A-Z

A First Love Story (2021) (mlm) | YouTube

Jaesung (Kim Hyeongwon)

Mingyu (Jung Jaewoon)

Blueming (2022) (mlm, wlw) | IQIYI

Hyeong Daun (Jo Hyukjoon)

Cha Siwon (Kang Eunbin)

Cha Siyeong (Moon Hyein)

Choco Milk Shake (2022) (mlm) | YouTube

Jungwoo (Ko Hojung)

Choco (Lee Jaebin)

Milk (Kim Seonghyuk)

Uncle (Park Seungbin)

Girlfriend Project Day 1 (2022) (wlw) | YouTube

Ahn Gain (Park Hyunwoo)

Song Heeram (Bing Hyejin)

His Man (2022-) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala | reality tv

Season 1

Kim Changyu

Kim Seonyul

Jeon Eunchan

Lee Jeonghyun

Kim Changmin

Leon Hyukjun

Lee Hyeon

Hokeep

Season 2

Shin Sungho

Oh Minsung

Kim Yoonghee

DABIT

DAENYOL

Lee Junseong

Yang Hyunjin

Joon Seonwoo

Jazz for Two (2024) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala

Han Taeyi (Ji Hogeun)

Yoon Seheon (Kim Jinkwon)

Seo Doyoon (Song Hangyeom)

Lily Fever (2015) (wlw) | YouTube

Kim Kyungju (Kim Hyejoon)

Jang Serang (Jung Yeonjoo)

Love Class (2022-) (mlm) | Viki, Gagaoolala

Season 1

Cha Jiwoo (Han Hyunjun)

Lee Roa (Kim Taehwan)

Kim Namjun (Yoo Hyukjae)

Season 2

Lee Hyun (J-min)

Shin Maru (Lee Kwanghee)

Oh Minwoo (Woo Hyowon)

Kim An (Kim Yongseok)

Yoo Joohyuk (An Jeonggyun)

Kim Sungmin (Jung Woojae)

Love for Love's Sake (2024) (mlm) | IQIYI, Gagaoolala

Tae Myungha (Lee Taevin)

Cha Yeowoon (Cha Joowan)

Chun Sangwon (Oh Minsu)

Ahn Kyunghoon (Cha Woongki)

Love Tractor (2023) (mlm) | IQIYI

Seon Yul (Do Won)

Suh Yechan (Yoon Dojin)

Kwon Inseo (Yang Seungbin)

Merry Queer (2022) (mlm, wlw, trans) | Gagaoolala | documentary

Kim Minjun

Park Bosung

Yoo Taeyoon

Lee Minju

Im Garam

Lee Seungeun

Our Dating Sim (2023) (mlm) | VIKI, Gagaoolala

Shin Kitae (Lee Seunggyu)

Lee Wan (Lee Jonghyuk)

Semantic Error (2022) (mlm, wlw) | VIKI, Gagaoolala

Jang Jaeyoung (Park Seoham)

Chu Sangwoo (Park Jaechan)

Choi Yuna (Song Jioh)

She Makes My Heart Flutter (2022) (wlw) | YouTube

Gangseol (Byun Jihyun)

Jung One (Park Somi)

Yubin (Choi Jiwon)

Sarang (Kang Nayoung)

Leera (Ahn Yeonsun)

The Eighth Sense (2023) (mlm) | VIKI

Seo Jaewon (Lim Jisub)

Kim Jihyun (Oh Juntaek)

To My Star (2021-2022) (mlm) | VIKI, IQIYI

Season 1 & 2:

Kang Seojoon (Son Woohyun)

Han Jiwoo (Kim Kangmin)

Our Relationship Ended Before It Began (2023) (wlw) | YouTube (only Ep 1 and 2 are available for free right now, but I still wanted to share this series (Link))

Yoonah (Park Hayoung)

Kim Ahyoung (Park Sanha)

Note: For this list, I decided not to add a symbol for shows that center queerness, because in a way all of these shows do that and at the same time almost none actually do. Queer characters and their love stories are featured in every show in this list, but most of them do not address any other queer aspects of their lives and only some address the fact that they are queer at all. This is not a critique of South Korean shows, but just an observation of their current media landscape and added as context, in case you are interested in watching.

[celluloidrainbow]

삼공일, 삼공이 | 301, 302 (1995) dir. Park Chul-soo Song and Yun, respectively a chef and an anorexic writer, are two women who are neighbors in an apartment building. Song (301) tries to entice her neighbor to eat with fabulous meals. Yun (302) refuses to eat, and this refusal begins a turbulent relationship that forces both women to delve into their tortuous pasts. (link in title)