Lee Kyung-eun (born February 17, 1975), better known by her

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Harisu (

Hangul The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...

: 하리수;

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

: 河莉秀), is a Korean

pop singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the Plan_(drawing), plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a mea ...

, and actress. Born male, Harisu knew she wanted to present herself as a woman from early childhood, and underwent

sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and alle ...

in the 1990s. She is the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...

's first

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

entertainer, and in 2002 became the second person in Korea to legally change their gender. Her stage name is an adaptation of the English phrase "hot issue". She first gained public attention in 2001, after appearing in a

television commercial A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...

for DoDo

cosmetics Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

. The commercial was a success and marked the launch of her career, which allowed her to branch out into other fields such as music and acting. She has recorded five Korean musical

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s, switching

genres Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

between

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

and R&B, and her overseas releases have featured songs recorded in

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

. Her first major acting role was in the 2001 film ''

Yellow Hair 2 ''Yellow Hair 2'' () is a 2001 South Korean film, written, produced, and directed by Kim Yu-min. It is the sequel to Kim's 1999 film ''Yellow Hair'', though it does not continue the same story or feature any of the same characters. The original ...

'', and since then her credits have included ''

Hi! Honey ''Hi! Honey'' (Traditional Chinese: 嗨！親愛的) is a Taiwanese television drama series that aired on CTV in 2004. The series ran for a total of 21 episodes, and starred Pace Wu, Shi Yinan and Harisu. Harisu's lines were spoken in her native ...

'', a

Taiwanese drama Taiwanese drama (, also known as T.W. drama) refer to dramatic programming of television programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hour episodes. They are produced in Taiwan and hav ...

series, and '' Colour Blossoms'', an erotic drama by

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

Yonfan. On May 19, 2007, Harisu married Micky Jung, but the couple divorced in 2017.

Early life and transition

Harisu was born in

Seongnam Seongnam () is the fourth largest city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province after Suwon and the 10th largest city in the country. Its population is approximately one million. Seongnam is a satellite city of Seoul. It is largely a residential cit ...

, Korea, and is one of five children.Li Ee Kee, "Eve from Adam", ''The Star Online'', September 19, 2005. A copy of this article can be read a
TNUKdigest
. Retrieved on April 27, 2007. Although assigned male at birth, she knew she was female from an early age, recalling, "I was always a girl who loved playing with dolls."Kang Kyong-hee

, ''The Digital Chosun'', March 29, 2001. Retrieved on April 27, 2007. This did not go unnoticed by her family or school friends, who often remarked that she looked and acted like a girl.Gina Choon

''Asiaweek.com'', September 14, 2001. Retrieved on April 27, 2007. A failed relationship with a boy during her teenage years convinced Harisu of the need to change her sex, and by the time she graduated from the all-boys Naksaeng High School,Cindy Friedman et al.
transcript for "NewsWrap" on This Way Out program #706
, October 10, 2001. Retrieved on May 5, 2007. she was already undergoing

hormone replacement therapy Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy or postmenopausal hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy used to treat symptoms associated with female menopause. These symptoms can include hot flashes, vaginal ...

.Christopher Torchia
"Transsexual entertainer testing the boundaries of South Koreans' Confucian ideals"
''The Korea Times'', September 20, 2001. Retrieved on April 27, 2007. It was for this reason that she was exempted from the

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require a ...

usually required of males in the Republic of Korea, being rejected on the grounds of "

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

".Markus Augustus, "Harisu Superstar", ''Giant Robot'', issue #28 p.56-59. By the end of the 1990s, Harisu had undergone several surgeries in Korea and Japan including:

breast augmentation Breast augmentation and augmentation mammoplasty is a cosmetic surgery technique using breast-implants and fat-graft mammoplasty techniques to increase the size, change the shape, and alter the texture of the breasts. Augmentation mammoplasty is ...

rhinoplasty Rhinoplasty ( grc, ῥίς, rhī́s, nose + grc, πλάσσειν, plássein, to shape), commonly called nose job, medically called nasal reconstruction is a plastic surgery procedure for altering and reconstructing the nose. There are two typ ...

, and surgery to increase the size of her hips. Harisu lived in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

for several years, where she studied to be a hair stylist. It was while working as a

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

that she was discovered by a

talent agency Talent has two principal meanings: * Talent (measurement), an ancient unit of mass and value * Talent (skill), a group of aptitudes useful for some activities; talents may refer to aptitudes themselves or to possessors of those talents Talent may ...

, and soon after she began her career as a model. After returning to Korea in 2000, she signed with management company TTM Entertainment, and first began using the stage name "Harisu", derived from the English phrase "hot issue"."Who is the Real 'Hot Issue'?"
''Korea Now'', November 29, 2003. Retrieved on May 5, 2007.

Career

Debut

Harisu made her acting debut in 1991—while still living as a boy—as a

supporting actor A supporting actor is an actor who performs a role in a play or film below that of the leading actor(s), and above that of a bit part. In recognition of important nature of this work, the theater and film industries give separate awards to the ...

in a high school

TV drama In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-ge ...

series, and this was followed by other minor film and TV roles as an

extra Extra or Xtra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper * ''Extra!'', an American me ...

during the 1990s. Her big break came in early 2001, when she appeared in a

TV commercial A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...

for DoDo

. The commercial hinted at the fact she is transgender, zooming in to reveal her

Adam's apple The Adam's apple or laryngeal prominence is the protrusion in the human neck formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx, typically visible in men, less frequently in women. Structure The topographic structure which is e ...

(although this was added digitally, since Harisu herself does not have a prominent Adam's apple). DoDo were initially cautious about using the commercial and had been prepared to withdraw it if the response was negative, but the commercial turned out to be a big success and quickly established her as a celebrity. As the Republic of Korea's first transgender entertainer, there was a great deal of media interest in Harisu, and she was routinely described as being "more beautiful than a woman". Explaining her reasons for "

coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

", she said, "I don't want to face people dishonestly. I won't be able to hide it after all. It's better to make it clear from the start."Park Soo-in
"Harisu Redefines Gender Identity"
''The Korea Times'', June 28, 2001. Retrieved on May 6, 2007. In June 2001, Harisu was the subject of a

television documentary Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. *Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

produced by KBS, which covered her childhood, family relationships, and debut as an entertainer. Later that year she was cast in the film ''

'', her first leading role. In addition to contributing songs for the film's

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

, Harisu played a transsexual who goes on the run after the apparent death of a

convenience store A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery ticket ...

owner. Regarding her decision to appear in the film, she said, "I wanted to break the stereotype of transsexuals — the demureness and extreme weakness with which they are often portrayed." The film was released on July 21. Also in 2001, Harisu published her

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

, ''Eve from Adam'', and appeared in a

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for dance group

Turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...

. In September, she entered the

K-pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...

music scene with her debut album, ''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'', a mix of

-style

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...

and slow ballads, which peaked at number 32 on the MIAK (Music Industry Association of Korea) K-pop albums chart. She released her second album, '' Liar'', in October 2002, describing it as "a high-energy dance record with a very upbeat rhythm." ''Liar'' became her biggest domestic chart success, reaching number 23 in its first month of release.

2003–2005

In October 2003, Harisu made the decision to leave her management company, TTM Entertainment. However, TTM claimed to hold the rights to her stage name, and announced their intentions to use that name to promote other artists. The matter was taken to

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

, and in early 2004 the

ruling Rule or ruling may refer to: Education * Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule perta ...

went in favour of Harisu, allowing her to keep the name. She subsequently set up her own company, G&F Entertainment, in order to make her own decisions regarding her career.Krista Kim, "Harisu: Woman Revealed", ''The Korea Herald'', February 11, 2004. A copy of this article can be read a
TNUKdigest
. Retrieved on May 12, 2007. In February she released her third album, ''

Foxy Lady "Foxy Lady" (or alternatively "Foxey Lady") is a song by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album ''Are You Experienced'' and was later issued as their third single in the U.S. with the alternate spelling. It is o ...

'', which marked a change from the sound of her previous albums towards a more hip-hop/ R&B style, with Harisu saying "now I am on my own, and showing my true colors, doing exactly the kind of music that I've always wanted." The album, however, failed to make the top 50 in the Korean charts. In 2004, Harisu began to develop her career overseas, expressing frustration at being "pigeon-holed" as a transsexual in Korea. She starred in the

series ''

'' alongside local celebrity Pace Wu, despite not being fluent in

(her lines were spoken in

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

and later dubbed). She drew attention by promoting

sanitary napkin Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems a ...

s in a series of

advertisement Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

s for Taiwanese company UFT, for which she was paid an estimated

₩ The won sign , is a currency symbol. It represents the South Korean won, the North Korean won and, unofficially, the old Korean won. Appearance Its appearance is "W" (the first letter of "Won") with a horizontal strike going through the cent ...

100 million per ad. Although she had been initially reluctant to take on the project, observers hailed the casting of a

trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and so ...

in such a campaign as a sign of progress.Hwang Su-cheol
"Transgender Singer to Do Menstrual Pad Ads"
''Digital Chosunilbo'', April 13, 2004. Retrieved on May 18, 2007.Tom Musbach

''PlanetOut.com'', April 13, 2004. Retrieved on May 18, 2007. Towards the end of the year Harisu appeared in Yonfan's '' Colour Blossoms'', an erotic drama film from

in which she shared a role with veteran Japanese actress

Keiko Matsuzaka (born July 20, 1952) is a Japanese actress. Early life Born in Ōta, Tokyo, her father was a naturalized South Korean while her mother was Japanese. Career In the 1960s, Matsuzaka became a child actress. Matsuzaka grew into adulthood in film ...

. Released on October 18, 2004, it was poorly received at the

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...

and by the media, though it had some success at

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...

s, and picked up several awards and nominations.Alexandra A. Seno
"A filmmaker bucks Hong Kong trends"
, ''International Herald Tribune'', February 7, 2005. Retrieved on May 19, 2007. Harisu made a return to Korean screens in early 2005, after being cast in the MBC

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

'' Beating Heart'', her first major role in a

Korean drama Korean dramas (; RR: ''Han-guk deurama''), more popularly known as K-dramas, are television series in the Korean language, made in South Korea. They are popular worldwide, especially in Asia, partially due to the spread of Korean popular cultu ...

. She starred in several episodes as a transsexual woman, returning to her family after a lengthy absence in a bid to gain acceptance."TV Drama to Show Life of Transsexual", ''The Korea Times'', March 21, 2005. A copy of this article can be read a
TNUKdigest
. Retrieved on May 19, 2007. Later that year her ''Foxy Lady'' album was released in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

with the inclusion of songs re-recorded in Mandarin, and she was even promoted by her Taiwanese

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

as the "

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

of the East". In September 2005, Harisu gained a foothold in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

after signing a three-year memorandum of understanding with Hock Star Entertainment, a deal which included the production of two

feature films A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

and secured the Malaysian release of her album.Nurliana Kamaruddin
"The ‘Foxy Lady’ Spell In Malaysia"
, ''Cinema Online'', September 3, 2005. Retrieved on May 19, 2007.

2006–present

After a prolonged absence from the Korean music scene, Harisu returned in January 2006 with her fourth,

self-titled An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

album. Although her comeback was originally scheduled for the summer of 2005, this had been prevented by other commitments overseas. The album was preceded by a

digital single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

, "Winter Story", and marked a change in her image, with an emphasis on being "cute" rather than "sexy".Kim Yoon-mi, "Ha Ri-su makes comeback ", ''The Korea Herald'', January 11, 2006. A copy of this article can be read a
TNUKdigest
Retrieved on May 23, 2007. ''

Harisu Lee Kyung-eun (born February 17, 1975), better known by her stage name Harisu (Hangul: 하리수; Hanja: 河莉秀), is a Korean pop singer, model, and actress. Born male, Harisu knew she wanted to present herself as a woman from early child ...

'' charted at number 46 in Korea, and as with her previous album it was released in Taiwan and China with extra songs recorded in Mandarin. Her fifth Korean album, ''

Summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

'', was released just six months later, though it failed to chart in the top 50. Her next film—the first as part of the deal with Hock Star Entertainment—was ''

Possessed Possessed may refer to: Possession * Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else ** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body *** ...

'', a

Malaysian Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

released on November 30, 2006, in which she starred alongside

Amber Chia Amber Chia (, pinyin: ''Xiè Lìpíng''; born 14 December 1981) is a Malaysian model, actress, TV host and brand ambassador. She was born in Teluk Intan, Malaysia but grew up in the town of Tawau in Sabah, East Malaysia. Chia started her own c ...

. Harisu played Lisu, a murdered pop singer who becomes a vengeful

ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

, and also performed the films

theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...

, though it was necessary for her dialogue to be spoken in Korean and later dubbed. She was praised by director Bjarne Wong for her hard work and professionalism, and has hinted that they may collaborate on another film in the future."The singer"
, ''The Star Online'', November 24, 2006. Retrieved on May 23, 2007."The director"
, ''The Star Online'', November 24, 2006. Retrieved on May 23, 2007. In early 2007, Harisu was cast as the lead actress in ''Police Line'', a Korean drama series produced for

cable network Networking cables are networking hardware used to connect one network device to other network devices or to connect two or more computers to share devices such as printers or scanners. Different types of network cables, such as coaxial cable, opt ...

On-Media ON Media Corporation ("Orion Network Media"),http://www.onmedia.co.kr/comp/ci.asp?Img_C=7 is a South Korean broadcasting company. Formerly a subsidiary of Korean food company Orion Confectionery, it was acquired by the CJ Group in 2010. Establis ...

. The series, based around a special unit for victims of

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

, starred Harisu as a

policewoman The integration of women into law enforcement positions can be considered a large social change. A century ago, there were few jobs open to women in law enforcement. A small number of women worked as correctional officers, and their assignment ...

who was molested as a child by her

stepfather A stepfather or stepdad is a non-biological male parent married to one's preexisting parent. A stepfather-in-law is a stepfather of one's spouse. Children from his spouse's previous unions are known as his stepchildren. Culture Though less com ...

."Harisu to star in TV series"
, ''China Daily'', March 28, 2007. Retrieved on May 23, 2007.Kim Pil-kyu
"Korean dramas lock horns with their American rivals"
, ''JoongAng Daily'', April 14, 2007. Retrieved on May 23, 2007. Filming for ''Police Line'' began in April 2007, and the series was launched in June with Harisu's husband Micky Jung making a cameo appearance.
, ''Digital Chosunilbo'', April 13, 2007. Retrieved on May 23, 2007. In December 2007, Harisu released a digital mini-album, ''Winter Special'', which featured a duet with her husband on the track "First Snow".Chang May Choon

, ''asiaone'', January 31, 2008. Retrieved on February 23, 2010. Harisu published a collection of essays in Japan in March 2008, titled ''Haris Beauty'' (sic). The essays formed a comprehensive guide to beauty, diet and fashion, and contained photographs of Harisu taken by Yamagishi Shin, who had traveled to Seoul the previous December for a four-day photo shoot. Harisu also provided narration for the visually impaired for the 2008 film ''If You Were Me: Anima Version 2'', an animated film about

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

. As of 2008, Harisu believed that she still faced discrimination within the entertainment industry, saying on television, "Many people pretend to smile and welcome me, but after the filming, they'd scold me behind my back".

Personal life

Harisu's decision to undergo sex reassignment surgery placed a strain on her relationship with her family, and she noted that when her parents first found out they "were very upset. They weren't angry, but very sad." Her father in particular had great difficulty accepting his child as a daughter, but her family have since accepted this and show great pride in her career. Harisu has been given credit for raising social awareness of transgender people in the Republic of Korea,Howard W. French
"Doctor overhauls attitudes by changing Koreans' sexes"
, ''San Francisco Chronicle'', June 23, 2003. Retrieved on May 27, 2007. and has said in interviews that she hopes to be a

role model A role model is a person whose behaviour, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. The term ''role model'' is credited to sociologist Robert K. Merton, who hypothesized that individuals compare themselves ...

for other trans people. In April 2007, she came to the aid of a Chinese trans woman unable to afford surgery, giving her the financial support needed to complete her transition.Li Qian
"Wannabe woman funded by transsex celeb"
, ''Chinadaily.com.cn'', April 9, 2007. Retrieved on May 27, 2007. Affected by the 2008 suicides of gay actor Kim Ji-hoo and transgender television personality Jang Chae-won, Harisu opened a transgender club "Mix-Trans" in

Apgujeong-dong Apgujeong-dong (; ) is a ward of Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It is considered one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in South Korea. It was reported that housing price of Apgujeong-dong is approximately US$28,300 per one square meter bKorea M ...

, southern Seoul, in June 2009.

Legal recognition of gender

On November 29, 2002, Harisu filed a petition with the

Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

District Court to have her sex corrected on her

family register Civil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events (Birth certificate, births, Marriage certificate, marriages, and Death certificate, deaths) of its citizens and Residency (domicile), residents. The resulting repos ...

, and that her birth name be changed from Lee Kyung-yeop to the more feminine Lee Kyung-eun."Ha Ri-soo Appeal to the Law"
, ''dongA.com'', December 4, 2002. Retrieved on May 24, 2007. The subsequent court ruling went in her favour, and on December 13, 2002, she became the second person in the Republic of Korea to legally change their sex.Park Don-kyu
"Ha Ri-su now Legally Female"
, ''Digital Chosunilbo'', December 13, 2002. Retrieved on May 24, 2007."Now, I am a Perfect Woman"
, ''dongA.com'', December 13, 2002. Retrieved on May 24, 2007. Speaking of the difficulties she had previously encountered, Harisu has said: "My most embarrassing moments were when I have had to show my personal

identification card An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID card, citizen ca ...

in public... I couldn't get a passport, visa or even my own bank accounts because I was legally a man".Shim Sun-ah
"S. Korea in dilemma over transgender citizens' right to choose"
, ''Yonhap News'', May 23, 2006. Retrieved on May 24, 2007.

Marriage

Since her debut in 2001, Harisu has consistently expressed a desire to marry and have a family of her own. In 2005, she began dating Micky Jung (real name Jung Yong-jin), a rapper whom she had met online.
, ''The Sunday Mail'', May 19, 2007. Retrieved on May 26, 2007. Jung, who had been a member of dance group EQ during the 1990s, later joined Harisu's management company and worked on her fourth and fifth albums.
, ''Digital Chosunilbo'', February 22, 2007. Retrieved on May 26, 2007. The couple briefly separated in 2006, but were reunited after Jung saw her dating another man on a TV show.Cathy Rose A. Garcia, "Harisu to Get Married Early Next Year", ''The Korea Times'', November 15, 2006. A copy of this article can be read a
empas
. Retrieved on May 5, 2007. Rumours that the two were to marry began circulating in November 2006, and a date for the wedding was announced in February, following meetings between their respective families. Harisu and Jung starred in a

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

show on cable network Mnet showing their everyday lives and preparations for their wedding, but the couple were subjected to harsh criticism from

netizens The term netizen is a portmanteau of the English words ''internet'' and ''citizen'', as in a "citizen of the net" or "net citizen". It describes a person actively involved in online communities or the Internet in general.

.Kim Rahn
"Transgenders Face Difficulty in Adoption"
, ''The Korea Times'', April 24, 2007. Retrieved on February 23, 2010. On May 19, 2007, Harisu and Jung were married at Central City Millennium Hall in the

Seocho-gu Seocho District () is one of the 25 '' gu'' (local government districts) which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Seocho is generally referred to as a part of Greater Gangnam Area, along with Gangnam District. As of 2022, Seocho District ra ...

district of

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

. The ceremony was presided over by KBS anchor Shin Young-il, and officiated by Kim Suk-kwon, a Dong-A University professor who had performed Harisu's sex change surgery in the 1990s. The couple honeymooned on the

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

island of

Ko Samui Ko Samui (or Koh Samui, also often locally shortened to Samui; th, เกาะสมุย, ) is an island off the east coast of Thailand. Geographically in the Chumphon Archipelago, it is part of Surat Thani Province, though as of 2012, Ko ...

, and began their married life at Harisu's family home in Nonhyun-dong, in the

Gangnam-gu Gangnam District ( ; , ) is one of the 25 local government districts which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Gangnam translates to "South of the (Han) River". Gangnam District is the third largest district in Seoul, with an area of . A ...

district of Seoul. The couple have said that they plan to adopt four children, though the news prompted a mixed public reaction. A poll by Mnet found that 69% of 1,300 respondents were in favour of Harisu's decision to adopt, while in a similar poll by Daum, 58% of 8,094 respondents were against the idea. Harisu and Jung divorced in 2017 after ten years of marriage.

Welfare and politics

In November 2007, Harisu unveiled plans to build and run an

orphanage An orphanage is a Residential education, residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the Childcare, care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parent ...

, stating that it was one of her "long-cherished dreams". With the support of her husband and mother-in-law, she purchased a plot of land in Janghowon,

Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

, and studied for a community service license. Harisu campaigned for the New Progressive Party in the 2008 Republic of Korea legislative elections, supporting the legalization of marijuana.Park Si-soo
"Stars Spruce Up Campaign Rally"
, ''The Korea Times'', April 6, 2008. Retrieved on February 23, 2010.

Discography

As of 2007, Harisu has released five Korean language studio albums, though her song lyrics typically include English as well. While her early work has been described as "techno-flavored K-pop", her more recent albums have leaned towards the R&B, hip-hop, and

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

. She has named

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

and

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

as her musical influences; of her contemporaries, she holds

Chae Rina Chae Ri-na (; born Bak Hyeon-ju, ; February 3, 1978) is a South Korean singer. She debuted in 1995 as a member of the best-selling co-ed vocal group Roo'ra. She was also a member of the girl group Diva Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a god ...

in high esteem.

Studio albums

Other releases

Music videos

* "History" by

(2001) * "Temptation" (2001) * "Always" by Kang Sung (2002) * "Liar" (2002) * "Foxy Lady" (2004) * "Reaction" (2006) * "Shopping Girl" (2012) * "Make Your Life" (2018)

Filmography

Bibliography

* ''Eve from Adam'' (2001) Dai San Media, * ''Beauty Goddess's Change'' (2002) Taiwan Kadokawa, * ''Perfect Woman'' (2005) Bo Shi, * ''Haris Beauty'' (2008) Takeshobo,

Awards

Notes

* a. Although the cited source states that Harisu has an older brother, other sources refer to her as being an "only son".Lee Seung-Heon
"Ha Ri-Soo, Who Became a Woman: Story Behind"
, ''dongA.com'', June 3, 2001. Retrieved on April 27, 2007."Court makes it official – he's now a woman", ''The Straits Times'', December 22, 2002. A copy of this article can be read a
TNUKdigest
Retrieved on April 27, 2007. * b. The exact dates that Harisu underwent surgery are unclear. Some sources state that she had sex change surgery in 1995,Su Aziz, "10 Minutes With Harisu: A role model for transsexuals ", ''New Straits Times'', August 12, 2006. A copy of this article can be read a
TNUKdigest
Retrieved on May 5, 2007.Anthony Faiola
"South Korea Loosens Its Collar
, ''washingtonpost.com'', December 16, 2003. Retrieved on May 5, 2007.
''Digital Chosunilbo'', May 21, 2007. Retrieved on May 26, 2007. while others give the year as 1998 (or when she was 23 years old).Peter Yap
"She's a lady"
, ''Sun2Surf'', September 6, 2005. Retrieved on May 5, 2007. * c. Harisu is sometimes written as Ha Ri-su, Ha Ri-soo, or Ha Risu. * d. The actual title for this song is in Korean. Alternative translations include "When it Snows" and "Falling Snow". * e. In a more recent interview, Harisu seems to contradict herself by saying that "There wasn't any reaction at all" from her family.

References

External links

Harisu Official Blog (Japan)
* *
Harisu discography
at FormulaRecordings {{Authority control 1975 births Living people People from Seongnam 20th-century South Korean women singers 20th-century South Korean actresses 21st-century South Korean women singers 21st-century South Korean actresses K-pop singers South Korean female models South Korean women pop singers South Korean film actresses Transgender actresses Transgender female models Transgender women musicians South Korean television actresses Nightclub performers South Korean expatriates in Japan Mandarin-language singers of South Korea South Korean LGBT actors South Korean LGBT singers South Korean LGBT entertainers 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people Transgender singers