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South Korean artist Holland took to his official social media accounts to share a harrowing experience that he recently underwent in Itaewon, South Korea. The young artist stated that he became the victim of a hate crime because of his LGBTQ+ identity.
The singer gave a lengthy description of the distressing incident and also shared pictures of the scar on his nose. The K-pop star said that he had been violently attacked by a stranger, who hurled homophobic remarks at him. He clarified:
"This is clearly a hate crime. Being exposed to violence just because I came out as being gay is absolutely unacceptable."
Warning: Contains pictures and descriptions of hate and violence.
K-pop singer Holland shares traumatic experience in Itaewon, South Korea
On May 6, 2022, Holland tweeted about the heart-wrenching experience he had in Itaewon, South Korea. He shared the incident as a victim of a homophobic attack the previous night, in an effort to raise awareness.
The singer explained that he had been walking around the city with his manager and a friend when a stranger had suddenly called him a slur and physically assaulted him.
"Last night, I was walking around Itaewon with my manager and a friend. Suddenly, a strange man approached me and hit me on the face twice, calling me ‘a dirty gay’. Now I have a scar on my face and I’m going to the hospital soon."
The K-pop star stated that the phrase used by the attacker made it an obvious and horrifying hate crime. He also shared his sadness and disappointment that people are still subjected to hate and violence due to their s*xuality in the 21st century.
"This is obviously a hate crime. The fact that my s*xuality as a gay person is public should never expose myself to this kind of violence. Nor any other LGBT+ and all elders, women and minorities in this world. This happening in 2022 shows the sad reality of LGBT+ human rights."
The singer shared a picture of his injuries and said that he had reported the crime to the police. He said that he was planning to go to the hospital soon. Holland continued that he hoped the story would help people realize the intensity of the situation so they could create awareness in society and put an end to such disheartening incidents.
"This should never happen to anybody in this world, no matter who you are. I wish our world is filled with more love and hope rather than hate and violence."
Fans sympathise with Holland's crime experience
Upon hearing his story, netizens sympathized and empathized with the singer, sharing their thoughts about the crime. They also showed support for the idol and sent their love and wishes for his fast recovery.
Holland garnered a lot of attention when he became the first artist in the K-pop music industry to come out as gay publicly and embrace his identity fearlessly. The young artist has been actively showing his support for the LGBTQ+ community, and is an inspiration to many. He has been praised for his courage in promoting himself as a gay artist in South Korea, which is deemed to be an extremely conservative country.
