First Public 'Gay Marriage' Held in Korea

Lee is a transsexual, in his early 40s, who went from being a woman to a man. In his novel, "A Man of a Different Sort" (Korean: Saek-dareun Namja), he frankly discusses his exhausting life history. Lee's book is the first one to give detailed descriptions of the sexual experiences of transgender individuals.

Lee, a "man born in a woman's body," has experienced a life of ups and downs. Although he's a man physically, a women's name -- Lee Dong-suk -- is still written in his family registry.

Lee remains strong, however. "Sexual classification is nothing more than an accessory," he believes. He confesses all his sensitive experiences in his book, like his "Men's Underwear Incident" in a [girls] middle school, the "Secret Episode in a Women's Prison," and his marriage and eventual separation from a woman he loved. He pulls no punches in discussing sex, frankly describing how he sought the joys and acts of love through women, his first orgasm, how he knocked a woman out once during car sex, and other dangerous encounters.

Born in Seoul, Lee had felt confusion over his gender since age five. He thought of himself as a man. The walls of reality, however, were high. While attending Y Girls Middle School, Lee was often scolded by female teachers for not wearing a bra.

He did not give up being a "man," however. He first tried to get a sex-change operation at age 14, but in 1990, his dream finally came true. In 2001, he married a woman -- a graduate of the Korean literature department of a reputable university and 13 years his junior -- after living with her for six years. Yet the marriage would last only five months, adding more pain to Lee's life.

Lee spent his late teens as a gangster on Chungmu-ro. He earned "three stars" for being named a wanted criminal and repeatedly evading capture. With this background, he currently runs a research and counseling center in Seoul's Banpo-dong that works to rehabilitate ex-cons. He lives alone.

He showed a thing for writing, and has published two poetry anthologies, a novel and essay collection. In 2001, he made the final cut in the poetry section of a spring literary contest conducted by a major daily paper. He's now working on a movie scenario.

Lee is a man with a lot to say. He puts it all out there in his true-life story, "A Man of a Different Sort," and in his telephone interview with the Sports Chosun, he discussed his experiences and beliefs at great length.

Q: You say you've felt like a man since age five... A: My mother tried really hard to make me wear women's shoes, but I just cried and cried. I wanted by older brother's shoes. Only when my grandmother brought me my brother's shoes did I stop crying.

Q: You must have had a tough time at puberty. A: There were a lot of incidents in middle school. Others recognized me as a boy after I was caught wearing men's underpants while cleaning the classroom. I felt humiliated having to wear a girl's school uniform. I've never felt like a girl. It was like living as a ghost. Since it looked like high school was going to be more of the same, I quit school. In my junior year of middle school, I tried to get a sex-change operation, but failed.

Q: You say you dreamt of being an entertainer... A: I passed an acting audition at Tong Yang Broadcasting Company in my senior year of middle school, but my family didn't like the idea so I gave up. After this, I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do, so I also ran track without my parents knowing.

Q: We were surprised to hear you were a gang boss. A: I've had been the best fighter in middle school. My fists were so strong I earned the nickname, "The Mortar." Two days before I went to TBC for that audition, a friend of mine came up to me and said, "We're going to see the Boss." In this way, I entered the underworld. At one time, I had 17 men under my command, and my specialty weapon was a soldier's belt. At that time, to look like a man, I always wore pads. After a "war" with a gang from the Jeolla provinces at a nightclub in Mugyo-dong, I lived life as a fugitive, and did three stints in jail.

Q: What's life like as a transsexual? A: I've never lived life as a transsexual. I've always lived my life naturally as a man. So I don't really know well the transsexual life. I'd didn't change my sex; I transcended sex. Anyway, people who are clearly born male or female are blessed.

Q: Your marriage was quite the news... A: Ms. K (his ex-wife) knew I was a transsexual when she married me. She's now in Great Britain, and she calls from time to time. She knows about my book, too. We broke up because of the people who used our wedding commercially.

Q: There are a lot of people interested in transsexual sex. A: Yeah, I get a lot of question like that. I have sex just like any normal man.

Q: Why did you write the book? A: I wanted to give home to those who felt alienated. I say, "My life is a show." I don't hide a thing. I'd like to take the royalties from my book and put a play I've recently completed, "The Silence of the Assaulters," on stage.

(Lim Jeong-shik, dada@chosun.com )