The LGBTQ+ Movement: South Korea’s push for more inclusivity

The LGBTQ+ Movement

In the last few weeks, streaming companies from South Korea have announced different LGBTQand related shows. This was something that many people in South Korea had thought impossible however, it appears that things are gradually looking upwards.

SK Telecom and three of South Korea’s largest TV broadcasters, KBS, MBC, and SBS have come together to create the first queer-themed television show “Merry Queer.” The show tells the stories of couples who are queer on the “coming out” journeys, regardless of whether they reveal how they feel about their “unconventional” relationships to families and friends or to the world at large. In the very first episode, the host Hong Seok-Cheon gets emotion-stricken as he describes what the show is going to mean for the South Korean queer community.

He was among the very first South Korean celebrities to come out in the year 2000. He was promptly dismissed from his television shows on the network and ads amid public fury. His decision to be out ended his career, and through his autobiography, My Heart Still Crumbles for Forgotten Love, he talks of the harrowing stigma, discrimination, and abuse that he was subjected to at the time.

It’s no surprise that it was such a joy for him to appear on this show after 22 years of acknowledging that he didn’t think such a moment or show could be feasible. The first time that this has happened in South Korean TV history, audiences will be in a position to witness LGBTQand couples living their life in their own way as they speak out on the issues that affect their lives.

A different South Korean streaming service Wavve has also announced the launch of another variety show that features gay characters named “His Man”. It will be the first South Korean gay-friendly reality show where eight hot and sexy gay single men live together in the same house to be together, socialize and get to know one another in their search to find “true love”.

The road to where we are today was long and painful but many aspects have been in the process. South Korea, like other countries, has made progress with regard to its attitudes toward people of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s been painfully slow but it’s an improvement and is certainly welcome.

Many teenagers living in South Korea have a positive attitude towards their community and are well-informed on issues such as gender and sexuality.

There have also been positive comments on BL shows such as Semantic Error, which viewers appreciate as unique and refreshing compared to the countless series that focus on heterosexual relationships. There’s been an increase in the demand in LGBTQ+ content proving that people are eager to see more.

The advent of streaming online makes it simpler to access these shows, and terrestrial broadcasters are forced other than to accept increasing demand and increase their content creation to create more diverse content.

In recent times, we’ve seen mainstream dramas incorporate themes such as Mine with a secret relationship between two people and Itaewon Class depicting the challenges of being transgender, just to just a couple of examples.

While many rejoice and welcome a new age of South Korean television, some are not happy with the shows that are being broadcast and want them canceled. Recently, a group of online moms took to social media to protest against Semantic Error. According to moms that watching the show could result in their children becoming sexually oriented. They said that these shows are not needed and they should unite and discuss the issue before it’s too late.

However, Wavve stood firm and issued a statement that reads:

“While we sympathize with your concerns, our original programs on Wavve are designed to highlight programs that have unique themes that distinguish them from other platforms. the program you’re discussing is one of the kinds of programs the platform hopes to provide viewers. The show is a real-life show that reflects the life of these individuals. There could be a range of opinions and opinions regarding bisexual people, but by utilizing the format of a reality show this show provides an inside look at the lives of certain individuals while also addressing the need for people to be respectful and understanding of the differences between them, therefore we would like to ask you to be patient.”

A lot of people were on the web to express their support for the show in support of the show, saying that nobody has a legal obligation to take part in the show in the event that they do not wish to. The shows are crucial as they enable us to address the issues that the LGBTQ+ community faces in South Korea and educate people about the realities of what it’s like to be queer.

They can change the perception of people and people can be more open. They help in establishing conversations and are able to help bring about the changes needed to create equality. So long as the characters are written with care and have a diverse range of characters onscreen could be a positive thing.

What do you think of South Korea and the recent expansion of its borders? Do you consider this positive? Let us know via the comment section below. We’d love to have your thoughts!

You can check out more of our thought-provoking articles here!
The LGBTQ+ Movement
In the last few weeks, streaming companies from South Korea have announced different LGBTQand related shows. This was something that many people in South Korea had thought impossible however, it seems like things are changing slowly.

SK Telecom and three of South Korea’s largest TV broadcasters, KBS, MBC, and SBS joined forces to launch the first reality series “Merry Queer.” The show tells the stories of couples who are queer and who are on the “coming out” journeys, whether that’s revealing the details of their “unconventional” relationships to families or friends, or even the world at large. In the premiere episode, one host Hong Seok-Cheon is emotion-stricken as he describes what the show means to members of the South Korean queer community.

He was among the very first South Korean celebrities to come out in the year 2000. He was fired immediately from the television shows of his network and ads amid public fury. The decision to make his debut was a blow to his career. the memoir he wrote, My Heart Still Crumbles for Forgotten Love, he talks of the harrowing stigma, humiliation, and discrimination that he experienced at the time.

It’s no surprise that the actor was so elated to appear on the show after 22 years and admitted that he didn’t think such a moment or a show could be feasible. The first time that this has happened in South Korean broadcasting history, the viewers will be in a position to witness LGBTQand couples living their life in their own way as they speak out on the issues that affect their lives.

The other South Korean streaming service Wavve has also announced the launch of another show with gay characters called “His Man”. This is the first South Korean gay dating reality show that features 8 hot, attractive, and gay single men who share the same house to be together, socialize and be open with one another in their search to find “true love”.

The path to reach this point was not easy and long however, many factors have made it possible. South Korea, like other countries, is making strides in its attitudes toward LGBT+ people. LGBTQ+ community. It’s been painfully slow however, it’s still positive and certainly appreciated.

The majority of youngsters in South Korea have a positive attitude towards their community and are educated on topics like sexuality and gender.

There have also been positive comments on BL series like Semantic Error, which viewers appreciate as unique and refreshing compared to the countless series that focus on heterosexual couples. There’s been an increase in the demand for LGBTQ+ content proving that people are eager to see more.

The advent of streaming online has made it much easier to access these shows, and terrestrial broadcasters are forced other than to succumb to increasing demand and increase their content creation to provide more diverse content.

In recent times, we’ve seen mainstream dramas incorporate these themes and including Mine with a hidden relationship, and Itaewon Class exploring the challenges of being transgender, just to just a couple of examples.

While many rejoice and welcome the new era on South Korean television, some are not happy with the shows that are being broadcast and want them canceled. Recently, a group of online moms took to social media to denounce Semantic Error. According to them that watching the show could result in their children becoming sexually oriented. They said that these shows aren’t needed and they should unite and discuss the issue before it’s too late.

However, Wavve stood firm and issued a statement that reads:

“While we sympathize with your concerns, we at Wavve-original focus on showcasing programs that have unique themes that make them different from other platforms. the program you’re discussing is one of the varieties of programming that the platform hopes to provide viewers. The program is a reality show that reflects the life of the people. There are a variety of views and opinions regarding the ‘bisexual’ community; however, by utilizing the format of a reality television show this show provides an inside look at the lives of a few people while also addressing the need for people to be respectful and understanding of different perspectives, which is why we request your patience.”

Others have taken to social media to show their support for the show as well and argued that no one has a legal obligation to go to the theater even if they do not want to. The shows are crucial because they allow us to discuss the issues that the LGBTQ+ community faces in South Korea and educate people about the realities of what it’s like to be a queer person.

They can change the perceptions of people and people become more open. They help in establishing conversations and help to bring about the changes needed to achieve equality. If the characters are well-written and have a diverse range of characters onscreen could be a positive thing.

What are your thoughts on South Korea and its recent push for inclusivity? Do you think this is a good thing? Do let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!

You can check out more of our thought-provoking articles here!