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| Drag artist Kim Young-rong, who goes by the name Nana, has been at the center of drag entertainment for about 14 years. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Some say it is misogynistic, while others say it is culturally inappropriate. But to Kim Young-rong, a pioneering drag entertainer at the center of a much-criticized scene, drag is just a way of expressing himself ― the other side of himself.
In Korea, where queerness is still largely taboo, drag has been mostly perceived with a negative view ― if not, unfamiliar. But Kim, who goes by the drag name Nana, strives to change that narrative of the scene so more people can enjoy and accept it as entertainment.
"Drag is about communicating your message more fiercely and overtly," Kim told The Korea Times recently. "I started it because I love showing the different side of me."
Since he first encountered the drag scene through the musical film "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in college 14 years ago, Kim has become one of the best-known drag entertainers in Korea, not only as part of the scene, but also in the mass media.
He has featured in various commercials, photo shoots and the music videos of K-pop artists, including girl groups Brown Eyed Girls and Mamamoo. And last year, fashion brand LANG&LU even took him as the muse for its F/W collection, which led him to walk the runway during the Fashion Week.
But despite the publicity he has garnered, the seasoned drag performer says he continues to spend time contemplating ways to make drag more acceptable to the public.
"With other drag entertainers in the field, we always share ways to make it more entertaining and more approachable so people can enjoy it without prejudice," he said.
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| Nana performs the song "Golden Star" from the musical "Mozart!" Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min |
And that is one of the reasons he started a YouTube channel with drag show production team Neon Milk to share a glimpse of his drag and personal lives. The channel has more than 80,000 subscribers.
"In Korea, the way people perceive (drag) is definitely still largely negative," Kim said.
He has conservatives on the one hand telling him, "it's disgusting," or "God will not forgive you," and radical feminists ― criticizing drag as a travesty of women ― on the other.
"I'm not saying that drag is never about a man dressing as a woman," he said, noting the most publicized effeminate images of drag. "However, that is just one category of drag.
"The easiest way I describe it is using a singer example. When someone says 'I'm a singer,' that person can be an R&B artist, rapper or jazz artist. There are specific categories in music."
As everyone has different values, he said each of their drag portrayals is different.
"If people can just look at it from a slightly different angle, they'll see this is just a matter of perspective. But that's the hardest part," Kim said.
"In the past, I used to try so hard to make them understand."
But his outlook changed with a recent incident.
The LGBTQ community garnered unwanted public attention in May when a cluster of coronavirus cases was confirmed in Itaewon, home to many gay bars and clubs ― often venues for drag performances.
This triggered a wave of homophobia and enormous criticism of the community, with some expressing extreme hate.
"A lot of people would send me messages saying nonsense like 'you are the ones spreading the virus,'" he said.
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| The drag artist puts on makeup before a performance. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min |
Seeing how quickly one incident can amplify hatred toward the community was an unnerving experience.
"It was too overbearing trying to be loved by everyone … I would exhaust and stress myself out," Kim said. "When this happened, I thought to myself, 'I don't need to please these people and ask them to accept me,' because I already have those who support and love me."
Being at the heart of such discreet entertainment over a decade has made him stronger and given him patience.
Despite adversities through those years, he said he has seen a positive change in people's perception of the drag scene.
"First, and foremost, the way people look (at drag entertainment) has improved so much," he said. "Back then, not many people did drag, but now I see many people joining."
He said that appreciating the culture as an expression of oneself has helped build the community.
"Nowadays, everyone has their own social media account, where they can be the star of their own show," Kim said. "There is a growing number of people who use drag to express and show themselves off on the platform, even if they are not performing shows."
He said he finally felt a sense of community.
"From looking at (the growing community), I feel how much love and interest people are showing (toward drag)," he said.
In such a collectivist society like Korea, where adhering to consensus is valued, flamboyant outfits, dynamic makeup and electrifying, fierce personas definitely stick out. And Kim says these factors now help draw people's interest toward drag.
"A lot of my fans say they get vicarious pleasure from watching my drag entertainment."
He said a handful of his fans, surprisingly, were older-generation women, coming to enjoy his show with their daughters.
"They would often tell me, 'I wish I could've been as bold as you were when I was younger,'" he said
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| The artist poses wearing one of his custom drag outfits. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-min |
Despite the growing interest and support, he will continue working hard to make drag more favorable and approachable to a broader audience.
He said such an approach was inevitable, because the more accessible this culture became, the faster it would blend in with society
"So I can't just go round and only do what I want to do," he said.
Using "homework" as a metaphor, Kim noted that this was an ongoing task put between the haters and himself to work on.
"This is like homework that won't be solved forever, so I would say, 'let's put this task ahead of us and work to see where it leads us,' because this is what I want to do and I'm not going to stop," he said.
