JUST B’s BAIN Comes Out as LGBTQ, Following in the Footsteps of Trailblazers Like Hong Seok-cheon
On April 22, 2025, Bae In (real name Song Byung-hee), a member of the K-pop idol group JUST B, publicly came out as LGBTQ during a concert in Los Angeles, USA. The event quickly attracted attention from the media and online communities, as it marks one of the very few times a K-pop artist has openly declared their LGBTQ identity.
In a powerful and emotional moment during the group’s JUST OD world tour, BAIN stood before fans and stated, “I’m f*cking proud to be a part of the LGBT community.” breaking barriers in the traditionally conservative Korean entertainment industry.
The 25-year-old idol from Daejeon earned his high school diploma via a GED after attending Daejeon Gapcheon Middle School. His agency responded to the news by calling it “a personal matter.”
BAIN’s bold move follows in the footsteps of Hong Seok-cheon, who made history in 2000 as the first South Korean celebrity to come out publicly. During a recent appearance on Channel A’s Best Friends Talkumentary: Table for Four, Hong reflected on that turning point in his life.
“At that time, coming out was truly shocking. I had a very intense love in my twenties, but we broke up because I hadn’t come out. That made me reflect on what was really important to me,” he said.
He explained how a casual question on a variety show gave him the chance to come out, which he took by saying, “I like men.” Though the show chose not to air the episode, he came out officially in a newspaper interview shortly after. Despite initial opposition from his family, he went on to become a symbol of resilience and pride for the LGBTQ community in Korea.
“Even now, 23 years later, my parents don’t understand me 100%, but they pray for my well-being and support what I do,” he added. Hong eventually opened his first restaurant in Itaewon in 2002 after struggling to find work in the entertainment industry.
On April 23, BAIN took to Instagram to share his heartfelt message in English: “I wanted to share something real with you. I’m proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. As a gay man.” His post quickly resonated with fans around the globe.
He continued, paying tribute to his idol: “And my queen, Lady Gaga, showed us the beauty of being different. To anyone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community or still figuring things out — this is for you. You are seen. You are loved. You were born this way.”
Geonu, a member of JUST B, has also acted in a BL (Boys’ Love) drama. Specifically, Geonu played the role of a pet care center director in the Korean BL series “Love Is Like A Cat” (사랑은 고양이처럼). This drama features several K-pop idols and belongs to the popular boys’ love romance genre, which is gaining significant attention in Korea and across Asia.
More recently, veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung made headlines by revealing in an international interview that her eldest son is gay and happily married in New York.
