Actor Kim Ttolttoli candidly opened up about the conflict and reconciliation process he experienced with his family after his coming out.
On the 16th, Kim Ttolttoli appeared as a guest on the SBS variety show Dolsing Fourmen with Lee Ji-hye and Son Dam-bi and shared personal stories.
Kim Ttolttoli said he realized he was different from others when he was in fourth grade. He said, "I realized my gender identity was different, and I thought I had to hide it and live. I deliberately practiced taekwondo and vowed to study hard." He reportedly maintained such excellent grades that he consistently ranked first in his school.
Raised in a devout Christian home, he said he worried in advance about disappointing his parents and tried to be an exemplary son. But in his late 20s he ultimately came out to his parents through YouTube. Kim Ttolttoli recalled, "I was afraid to tell them at home, so I chose that route. I was usually quiet at home and avoided speaking because I thought they would notice if I opened my mouth. I came out impulsively, and after that the household was in turmoil."
After his coming out, his parents called dozens of times and sent a long message saying, "Let's get treatment for homosexuality," he said. Kim Ttolttoli said, "I felt betrayed and cut off contact for six months, and I didn't see my father for as long as four years."
But the situation changed as his career progressed. As he became active on YouTube and on broadcasts, relatives passed along the news, and that led his father to contact him first. Kim Ttolttoli smiled and said, "I recently gave my father a card, and he proudly told my mother about it."
[Photo] OSEN DB, broadcast capture
[OSEN]