In a recent interview held in Seoul, 69-year-old Saekja challenged the common perception that she belongs to South Korea's first generation of transgender people. She explained that many individuals lived as transgender long before the establishment of specialized venues or bars that openly welcomed the community. According to Saekja, these predecessors expressed their identities through makeup and social interaction, even though they lacked the visible spaces or signage that characterize modern nightlife. Her reflections highlight a hidden history of transgender life in Korea that predates the emergence of contemporary social infrastructure, emphasizing that her own experiences are part of a much longer, often undocumented lineage of individuals who lived authentically despite the absence of public support systems.
Source : The Korea Herald
Photo : The Korea Herald
