Kim Do-hoon et al; Cine21 Books: 304 pp., 13,500 won
Homosexuality has been slowly making headway into the heart of Korean popular culture in recent years. Onscreen, the portrayal of same-sex romance is no longer limited to indie arthouse flicks and even graces primetime TV soaps.
Now for the first time a book offers a comprehensive guide to the world of gay men, from the history of queer cinema and festivals to the impact the group has had on the fashion world. Experts from a variety of fields ranging from music and film to sports and fine art offer interesting facts and trends.
Also included is an introduction of hotspots in Seoul for gays — for example, public bathroom walls in bus terminals are often scribbled with messages and phone numbers looking for same-sex dates.
But the book’s most interesting section is a transcription of a candid conversation about what it’s like to live in Korea as a gay man, FAQs about misconceptions and homophobia along with an explanation of human rights and legal issues concerning gays.
The book seems like a promising beginning, but raises the issue of the “minorities” within the sexual minority group here — how about lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals in Korea?
— LEE HYO-WON