Transgender Korean Shemale Conscripted For Military Service

The South Korean government was criticized for its attempts to conscript transgender women into the military. The Defence Ministry wants to allow female soldiers – those who were assigned male at birth and underwent hormone therapy – to join supplementary service, an alternative to mandatory military service for all able-bodied males in the country.

South Korea has been a democracy for many decades, but discrimination against LGBTQIs is still widespread. This includes preventing them from accessing public facilities, having proper medical care and even finding employment. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is particularly problematic for young people, with many TGNC youths feeling the need to hide their gender identities from their parents.

In the world of pop culture, Harisu is a well-known transsexual entertainer who was born as Lee Kyung-yeop and graduated from all-boys Naksaeng High School before becoming an actress, model and beauty queen. Unlike other transgender celebrities, however, she did not underwent sex reassignment surgery before entering the entertainment industry and only made the transition public in 2002.

In recent years, there have been a number dramas featuring transgender characters. In the tvN drama, It’s Okay That Love, Jo In-sung’s and Gong Hyo Jin’s portrayal of Lee El as a woman who undergoes sex reassignment after undergoing surgery was a transgender. Ahn Yonjoon and Cha Seungwon, for example, have played cisgender males who became trans females. While this is a positive step, it is important to understand that the mainstreaming of transgender people is not enough to address the root causes of discrimination against TGNC young adults in society.