Broadcaster Hong Seok-cheon candidly revealed the pain he experienced after coming out and an anecdote about misunderstanding Shin Dong-yeob.
On the 6th, a video titled 'Hong Seok-cheon Ji Jin-hee [Zzanbro EP.152] Korea's two top top gays and the gay president' was released on the YouTube channel 'Zzanbro Shin Dong-yeob'.
That day Hong Seok-cheon confessed, "I took a break from broadcasting for three and a half years after coming out," and said, "During that time there were directors who wanted to work with me, but many castings were canceled because of external pressure."
Hearing this, Shin Dong-yeob said, "Looking back now, the atmosphere at the time was too violent," and added, "A sensational headline reading 'I'm a homo' ran on the front page of a newspaper. It was so cruel."
He continued, "Even after taking a break from broadcasting for several years and returning, I asked about everything on purpose," and recalled, "When we did 'Three men, three women,' if Song Seungheon was there we went to the sauna, and if he wasn't we didn't. That was the atmosphere at the time."
Hong Seok-cheon calmly recounted the process of realizing his sexual identity. He said, "I went to an all-boys middle and high school, and from third grade of elementary school I felt different from others," and added, "I liked the older boys more than the girls, and in sixth grade I thought I liked a girl but I couldn't even hold hands. Instead I wrote a letter to the boy I liked."
He continued, "I worried a lot until college. Only after serving in the military did I accept myself as gay," and said, "It was so hard until I admitted it. I was always anxious about being found out and suffered a neurosis as if I would be blackmailed. In that process I also experienced panic disorder."
What changed the atmosphere was a pleasant episode with Shin Dong-yeob. Hong Seok-cheon burst into laughter, saying, "Actually, at first Shin Dong-yeob also thought he was on our side." He went on, "He performed cross-dressing so well. Our younger siblings also kept asking, 'Hyung, it seems like Shin Dong-yeob,'" and added, "They were sure he was one of us and no matter how much they came on to him he didn't bat an eye," which made everyone laugh.
He added, "Still, during bachelor days Shin Dong-yeob was like a figure of hope for all gays," which turned the venue into a sea of laughter.
[Photo] 'YouTube'
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