K-pop Artist Cherry Comes Out As Transgender During Instagram Live
The singer’s announcement is sparking love and support from fans worldwide.
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South Korean singer Cherry, formerly known as Ryujin, publicly came out as a transgender woman during an Instagram Live broadcast on Saturday. The announcement makes her one of the few openly trans figures in the K-pop industry.
“This isn’t a hobby, it’s my life. I’m trans,” Cherry said during the livestream. “Because I wasn’t an ordinary person, I couldn’t reveal everything from the start. My goal was to take it slow. I’m just going with my goal.”
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Cherry first gained recognition in 2016 through the South Korean reality competition show Boys24. She later debuted as a member of the boy group Jwiiver under Starweave Entertainment. Since her debut, fans have speculated about her gender identity, often noting her expressive and nonconforming presentation within the highly controlled image standards of the K-pop industry.
Prior to Saturday’s announcement, Cherry had previously stated she was comfortable being referred to as “he,” “she,” or “they.” Her latest comments mark the first time she has publicly and explicitly identified as a transgender woman.
Following the livestream, fans and supporters took to social media using the hashtag #ProudOfCherry, which began trending in South Korea and internationally. “She’s gorgeous omg, i didnt know about her before but i’m so happy for her,” one fan commented.
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Cherry’s announcement adds to a recent trend of LGBTQ+ representation within Asian pop music. In April, Bain, a member of the K-pop boy group Just B, said he was “proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community.” In July, Pimnara Rumruaymunkong—known as Latin from Thai girl group CGM48—confirmed she identifies as WLW, stating in an Instagram Story that she is “100 percent WLW.”
And in June, Megan from the global girl group Katseye came out as bisexual, shortly after her bandmate Lara described herself as “half a fruit cake,” explaining that she’s been attracted to people of all genders for as long as she can remember.
