HYORI

Hyori is a close friend of mine and currently lives in Seoul. She is a trans person and works as a hostess. When I first met her, she used the artist name “Hyori Whore.”

At first, this self-designation surprised me. It can be understood as a deliberate reappropriation of a stigmatizing term. By naming herself, she shifts the power of definition and challenges who gets to label and define. This gesture questions prevailing moral norms without idealizing or dramatizing sex work.

When I am in Korea, we meet regularly and work together on photographic projects.

Hyori grew up in Busan as the eldest son of two brothers. Her mother raised them on her own. At school, Hyori presented herself in a very masculine way and was frequently involved in fights, which gave her the reputation of being a “tough guy.”

In 2002, while still in middle school, her mother sent Hyori to the United States. She lived there for around fifteen years and trained as a hair and makeup artist.

Because of her impending conscription into military service in South Korea, Hyori eventually returned. At that time, she had not yet come out as trans. The prospect of military service caused her great anxiety, as it was clear that coming out afterward would still be possible, but much more difficult, given how profoundly the experience would shape her life.

Inspired by Harisu*, Hyori came out at the age of 25. During this period, she completely cut off contact with her family, assuming they would not understand and fearing that her situation would become a burden in their everyday lives. For four years, she had no contact with her mother and brother. Only later did she learn that her mother had been desperately searching for her during that time.

They have since found their way back to each other and now share a very close relationship.

* Harisu is still regarded as a key figure in the history of transgender visibility in South Korea. At a time when trans identities were barely visible and strongly stigmatized in society, she became the first openly living trans woman to appear in the Korean mainstream. Her public coming-out and her rapidly growing presence as a singer, actress, and model in the early 2000s drew widespread attention and significantly shaped public perception.