Influencer Oli London undergoes surgery because they 'identify as Korean'

30 June 2021, 08:53

An influencer from the UK has undergone what they called "racial transition surgery" because they "identify as Korean".

Oli London said they identify as non-binary and uses the pronouns they and them.

They said the surgery involved a face lift, brow lift, temple lift, eye surgery and they had their teeth done, to make them resemble Jimin from K-pop band BTS.

Oli, who has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok, said they identify with Korean culture, speak the language and lived in the country.

They admitted nobody has ever "come out as Korean" but had been "trapped in my body for so long" and described the move as a "brave step".

Read more: Jubilant England fans take to streets of London to celebrate win over Germany

Read more: Calls for law change to protect EU citizens in UK after post-Brexit residency deadline

But the video describing the surgery has provoked a backlash.

One user on Twitter said they respected London's non-binary identity but said it is "not okay to identify as another race".

Another said they wanted people to be "comfortable in their own skin, but this is too far".

In the video, London said they hoped people would "respect my decision".

Being KOREAN…

"I know a lot of people don't understand me but I do identify as Korean and I do look Korean now, I do feel Korean. I don’t identify as British," they said.

"That's just my culture, that's my home country, that's exactly how I look now, and I also identify as Jimin. I know it's a little bit confusing for some people, nobody's ever come out as Jimin or Korean."

London added that they were sure there are "others who identify as Korean, or maybe Japanese".