Singer Holland, known as the first openly gay K-pop musician, was left bloodied following a “homophobic” attack.
Holland wrote on Instagram that he was out in Seoul with his manager and a friend when a stranger approached him, calling him “a dirty gay” and striking him in the face twice.
“This is obviously a hate crime,” Holland wrote.
“The fact that my sexuality as gay is public should never expose myself to this kind of violence. Nor any other LGBT+ and all elders, women and minorities in this world. This happening in 2022 shows the sad reality of LGBT+ human rights.”
Holland said that he reported the incident to the police and hoped his case would be looked after properly.
“This should never happen to anybody in this world, no matter who you are,” he continued. “I wish our world is filled with more love and hope rather than hate and violence.”
The 26-year-old, whose real name is Go Tae-seob, is one of few openly queer celebrities in South Korea.
Holland has previously spoken out about the homophobic abuse he has encountered.
Discussing how it felt growing up gay in South Korea, he previously told Dazed: “I had a very hard time in my school life… I confessed my love to a boy I loved when I was a secondary school student, and the response was not good, so that made my school life very hard.”
While South Korea does not ban homosexuality, the LGBT+ community faces legal challenges and discrimination in the country.
Same-sex marriage is not legal, and it is illegal for queer people to serve openly in the military, according to Equaldex. There is no ban on conversion therapy in South Korea, and there are no adoption rights for same-sex couples in the country.
Holland recently revealed he has a boyfriend.
While he didn’t share many details about his new partner, he described him as “very handsome and kind, tall”.