Some surprising news has hit the tabloids of Korea recently as a veteran Trot singer has revealed through and official statement through his company that he is gay and came out via Instagram!

Singer Kwon Do Woon recently celebrated his 10th year anniversary as a singer on October 6th. On this same day, not only did he reveal a release of his latest comeback but also shared the shocking news regarding his homosexuality. 

What comes as more of a surprise to others is that this is the first male celebrity to announce his sexual orientation to the public in the entertainment industry in over 20 years (with the first being Hong Seok Cheon)! 

The last time another celebrity came out as gay on television, he received so much backlash and had his contracts terminated that he committed suicide. While many worry about singer Kwon Do Woon’s health, it appears he is receiving nothing but support from the public so far. With Trot rising in popularity among the younger generation it seems the singer can find more comfort in the words of the youth.

In an interview reading the topic, Kwon Do Woon stated, “I wanted to speak up as a representative voice of sexual minorities and wanted to open up the prospect of coming out more widely in the entertainment industry. I hope to continue representing the LGBTQ community in my role.” He also shared the hashtags #Gay #TrotSinger, on Instagram while writing, “I was so surprised to find a flood of news articles about me this morning. Thank you all for your support. I will work harder.” 

While there of plenty of other gay K-Pop singers in the music scene we are aware of (such as Holland), none have yet to come forward towards an outlet and receive an official statement release from a company proving their news as fact. 

What do you think of the brave singers words and actions? Don’t forget to share the love and this article to continue promoting equality in Korea!