Holland is a landmark gay K-pop artist.
He just released new single Neverland, which shows the story of a boy facing discrimination.
The lyrics in the teaser music video are: ‘We are young and I love you’ as he’s rolling around in bed with another man.
In a recent Twitter post, Holland wrote: ‘Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.’
While he’s not the first openly LGBTI K-pop artist, it’s incredibly rare to see.
Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others
Obrigado! 🙏🏼#Holland #Neverland pic.twitter.com/qs6kBJgbFa
— HOLLAND (@HOLLAND_vvv) 19 January 2018
South Korea is an incredibly conservative country when it comes to LGBTI rights. While homosexuality is not a crime, social stigma forces many LGBTI people not to come out.
Just last year, Christian protestors blocked the annual Seoul Pride parade. Thousands of anti-LGBTI campaigners, mostly right-wing and Protestant groups, staged counter protests near Seoul Plaza.
They held large group prayers and loudly sung religious hymns.
Marshall Bang (aka MRSHLL) is another openly gay K-pop artist making waves in the music industry.
In an interview with Forbes, MRSHLL said: ‘I’m gay, gay, gay, gay, gay.’