Holland EXCLUSIVE: South Korea’s first openly gay K-Pop star says he ‘will fight for LGBTQ+ rights’

He is the first K-Pop idol to be openly gay in the South Korean music industry.

And Holland detailed his experiences since revealing his sexuality when he debuted in 2018 with his hit song Neverland, the first K-Pop music video to show a same-sex kiss on screen. 

The singer, 23, talked exclusively to MailOnline following his first European tour, and spoke passionately about supporting his fans and the LGBTQ+ community, as well as his experiences within the industry.

Holland, whose real name is Go Tae-seob, shared his determination to help others, saying: ‘People look to me to represent the LGBT community in Korea at the moment, they support me and look at me that way so there’s no reason for me to refuse.

‘I will fight for the rights of the LGBT community in Korea. All the actions that I foresee from my music, the message that I send, and what I write, all of that intends to resolve and change the traditionalist views in Korea.’ 

Homosexuality is not illegal in South Korea, which in 2003 ended its classification as ‘harmful and obscene’, and there is growing public acceptance of LGBTQ+ relations and annual gay pride rallies attract thousands.

However, discrimination remains widespread and gay people suffer hate crimes, according to campaigners, while conservative lawmakers are also pushing to end protections for sexual minority groups.

Supportive: Holland, whose real name is Go Tae-seob, shared his determination to help others, saying: ‘People look to me to represent the LGBT community in Korea’

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a Catholic widely seen as a liberal, has come under fire for refusing to legalise gay marriage although he has said discrimination against LGBTQ+ people is not acceptable.

On if he ever had any difficulties in the industry because he’s openly gay, Holland admits: ‘I never had issues with people I worked with, and I feel like if someone had an issue with me because of my sexuality then they wouldn’t even work with me in the first place.

‘I never had a hard time, personally. One of my goals is even if someone has an issue with me because of my sexuality, I hope that by working with them then they will have a different mindset. 

‘People are uncomfortable with [others being gay], but me speaking up about it has made those who thought they were uncomfortable with it get used to it.’

Though, when asked if he ever felt directly discriminated against he pauses, before saying: ‘In Korea? I can’t say no to that. 

‘There were a couple of times I caught on to the fact a person was uncomfortable with me. But I never had a direct conversation or confrontation with someone who said, “I don’t like you because you’re gay”.’

And he goes on to add happily: ‘In the music business in Korea there are a lot of people who are open-minded and supportive of the LGBT community so I have been supported by a couple of people.’ 

Starting his career as an independent artist in K-Pop, Holland admits that he feels the traditional trajectory in the industry ‘doesn’t really suit [him]’, though he is quick to point out that he isn’t trying to criticise any big music labels or groups.

Candid: On if he ever had any difficulties in the music industry, Holland admits: ‘If someone had an issue with me because of my sexuality then they wouldn’t even work with me’

‘[Companies] mould them into what they think will be the best for them,’ he explains. ‘So, what the company and the artist must do is divided equally, its very distinct.

‘There are other elements that artists focus on, but the main things they do is practice singing and dancing. But, for me, my focus is finding a crew who are able to support and help me tell the message that I want to send to fans.

‘I’ve been doing it a long time by myself, and because of that I’ve become stubborn because I have my own way of doing things. I’m a little bit bossy!’ 

Holland’s decision to follow his own path has clearly worked in his favour though, as his music boasts millions of views on YouTube, his debut track Neverland has been streamed 12 million times, while his single Loved You Better has gotten over 2 million views since its release two months ago.

Honest: When asked if he ever felt directly discriminated against he admitted he couldn’t ‘say no to that’ but added that ‘there are a lot of people who are open-minded’ in the music industry

The singer’s first European tour saw him perform at the ULU in London to an adoring crowd of fans, with many bringing flags from all ends of the LGBTQ+ spectrum to fly during the concert to represent their respective sexual identities.

The singer’s affection is evident as he talks about the experience, and admits: ‘When I was younger, I went through the same things that my fans are going through, or probably going through, now and it was very hard for me to do that. 

‘During that period of time I was very inspired and  felt support by listening to pop singers who supported the LGBT community, and in the K-Pop scene in Korea it’s still a taboo to support the LGBT community, or to have a conversation about it. 

‘I felt we should have someone in K-Pop who can support the younger generation who are going through a hard time because of their sexuality, so that’s why I decided to become a singer.’

Success: Holland debuted in 2018 with his hit song Neverland, which has garnered over 12 million views on YouTube, and he often uses his personal life as inspiration for his music

Holland often uses his personal life as inspiration for his music, explaining how songs I’m So Afraid and I’m Not Afraid from his self-titled debut album represented the fear he felt about coming out to his family, but also how he felt when he realised he had support from his fans.

His latest track Loved You Better continues this idea, and sees the singer look back on his struggles while at school, as he admits the song was ‘mostly focused on trying to help and heal my fans, it felt like something that I had to do for them.’

The gratitude Holland feels for the support of his fans is obvious from the way he speaks about them, gushing about how he wants to write songs that support them. 

‘I didn’t expect to get this much love from my fans since my debut, really,’ he says, the appreciation he feels evident in the tone of his voice. 

Showing his support: His latest track Loved You Better sees Holland look back on his struggles while at school, and he admits it was ‘mostly focused on trying to help and heal my fans’

‘I have so many positive and supportive friends around me, and I’m so proud of that and so I want to do my best for them,’ he adds.

Of where he’d like to see his career go next, Holland reveals his desire to tour in ‘more conservative’ countries where he feels he can ‘bring value and meaning’ by representing the LGBT community for fans.

‘Somewhere where its more conservative, like Korea. It’s important to me to go where the fans need me and want to meet me the most. 

‘So, I want to remember as an artist to fly to countries to show fans my support, rather than just be focused on commercial success.’ 

Thankful: The gratitude Holland feels for the support of his fans is obvious from the way he speaks about them, as he gushes that he always wants to ‘do [his] best for them’