South Korea’s most iconic transgender entertainer, Harisu—hailed as the ‘most beautiful transgender woman’—recently appeared on a web program and candidly revealed she underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1995, marking the 30th anniversary this year. At the time, she considered the long-term burden that estrogen supplementation and injections would put on her liver, so she stopped hormone therapy after surgery. Unexpectedly, this decision led to serious aftereffects: six years ago, at just over forty, she was diagnosed with early-stage osteoporosis, and her bone density was even worse than that of an 80-year-old woman. The subsequent impacts even compelled her to undergo artificial joint surgery, leaving fans deeply concerned.
Looking back on her entertainment career, Harisu also addressed rumors and shared details about her sudden rise to fame on the program. She revealed that she had debuted as early as 1991, but due to her unique gender identity, faced repeated setbacks in the then-conservative social climate, enduring a full ten years of anonymity before her breakthrough. Later, as a rookie model, she landed a major beauty ad campaign and broke industry records by signing a half-year contract worth 60 million won (about 175,000 ringgit). Her meteoric rise not only brought the term ‘transgender’ into the public consciousness in Korea, but also ushered in her own golden age.
When it comes to her love life, Harisu’s ten-year marriage with ex-husband MICKY Jung (Micky Jung) has always drawn attention. After their amicable divorce in 2017, she declined all program invitations seeking details about the split, stating frankly that there was no falling out—the two still maintain a good friendship and simply exchange birthday greetings via text. She especially emphasized that since her ex-husband has now started a new family, excessive private contact would be disrespectful to his current partner: ‘Maintaining proper boundaries is a sign of maturity.’ As for whether she would remarry in the future, she laughed and said she has absolutely no plans, and is thoroughly enjoying the freedom and rhythm of her current lifestyle.
News source: United
News source: United