Mina Sue Choi (L) from South Korea reacts after winning the Miss Earth 2022 pageant during the coro​nation night in Manila, Philippines, 29 November 2022. (Photo by Francis R. Malasig/EPA/EFE)

People make a heart shaped gesture as they look at the first sunrise of the year during New Year's celebrations at a park on January 1, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. Seoul's New Years celebrations returns this year after it was cancelled during the Covid Pandemic. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

American Song Contest winner, American singer, dancer and actress based in South Korea AleXa arrives to the 2022 Billboard Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 15, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Japan's Riku Miura perform with Ryuichi Kihara, not seen, during the pairs free skating at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at the Mokdong ice rink in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, February 21, 2025. (Photo by Lee Jin-man/AP Photo)

Young South Korean models, with wearable computers, walk the cat walk during the Ubiquitous Fashionable Computer Fashion Show on November 17, 2006 in Goyang, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

“Harisu (하리수 or 河莉秀) is the stage name of Lee Kyung-eun originally Lee Kyung-yeop (born February 17, 1975), a transsexual pop singer, model and actress from South Korea. Born biologically male, Harisu identified as female from early childhood, and underwent s*x reassignment surgery in the 1990s. She is noted for being South Korea's first transgender entertainer, and in 2002 became only the second person in Korea to legally change their gender. Her stage name is an adaptation of the English phrase «hot issue»”.

Photo: South Korean transsexual singer and actress Harisu (R) poses for pictures with a fan who played the role of groom during a simulated Chinese wedding at a fan club activity on August 5, 2006 in Changchun of Jilin Province, China. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

Japanese Yuuka Hasumi, 17, and Ibuki Ito, 17, also from Japan, who want to become K-pop stars, perform during their street performance in Hongdae area of Seoul, South Korea, March 21, 2019. (Photo by Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

Flowers are placed on a “comfort woman” statue during the weekly Wednesday protest in front of Japanese embassy demanding for an apology and compensation from Japanese government in Seoul, South Korea, July 22, 2015. “Comfort women” is the Japanese euphemism for women who were forced into prostitution and sexually abused at Japanese military brothels before and during World War Two. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)