White influencer Oli London has 18 surgeries to look like BTS star Jimin and now identifies as Korean
29 June 2021, 17:07
Oli London claims he’s Korean after having multiple surgeries
Oli London claims to be "transracial".
A white influencer claims to now identify as Korean and has had 18 cosmetic procedures to look like Park Jimin from K-pop band BTS.
On Saturday (June 26), Oli London – who was born in England – shared a YouTube video titled 'Being Korean…' to show off the results of their latest cosmetic procedure to give them "Korean eyes".
Sitting in their hospital bed with intense bruising after having eye surgery (canthoplasty), a face lift, brow lift, temple lift and a new set of teeth, Oli said: "I am coming out as non-binary. I don't feel like I identify with male or female. I just feel like I'm in the middle and my pronouns are they/them or Korean or Jimin. I know a lot of people don't understand me but I identify as Korean. And I do look Korean now, I don't identify as British."
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Oli says they have felt "trapped" in the wrong body for eight years and have struggled with "identity issues". Oli added: "I've finally had the courage to undergo my racial transitional surgery. I'm actually really happy. I identify with the culture, I’ve lived in Korea, I speak the language, I have the Korean look now, I look completely Korean. If you didn't know who I was you would just think I'm a Korean person."
And to people who think Oli just wants attention, their response was: "Nobody would do this for attention – nobody would go through this much pain, this much suffering. I'm doing this because it's how I identify."
People were of course furious that Oli had appropriated Korean culture and insisted his actions were actually racist. Many compared Oli's situation to that of Rachel Dolezal, who was famously outed for being white in 2015 after spending years moonlighting as a Black woman.
tw // Oli London
— lena⁷ — 🏳️🌈 (@FURRYVMIN) June 23, 2021
to the kpoppies who keep hyping him up as a “joke” it’s not funny and it will never be funny. He literally got eye surgery to make his eyes “more Asian” and uses his platform to disrespect, infantilize and fetishize Asians on a daily basis. Racism is not a joke
I just feel like if all the fandoms come together we can get rid of Oli London 😂😂 #kpopopinions pic.twitter.com/8ABtGf5tuo
— Jackson Lover ⚖️ (@Got7Lawyer) June 22, 2021
No. Gender is a social construct and ETHNICITY isn't. Being Korean is about the DNA , culture and history and also being raised there, not claiming you wanna be them just by liking their culture and music genre. Pls stop. You went too far. We as asians hate it
— _keshnaaaaa⁷ (@keshnaaaaa) June 29, 2021
tw: suicide mention
— 😵💫 (@winternjm) June 23, 2021
for those who don’t realize why oli london’s tweet is VERY damaging, please watch this video! pic.twitter.com/sWR6V9CIEE
people are back on their "transracial" bullshit thanks to this British influencer Oli London who got plastic surgery to look Korean and who now claims they are Korean simply because they "have the look."
— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) June 29, 2021
It's fucking racist. stop it. https://t.co/inh0M1H2UX
Following the backlash, Oli actually doubled down on their comments in a series of tweets and compared being transracial to being transgender. Oli said: "If you can be transsexual you can also be TRANSRACIAL. Why are there such double standards & hypocrisy with people criticising me for being Korean. It’s the same as someone who was born in the wrong body and wants to become a man or a woman. I was actually born in the wrong body!
"Please add TransRacial to the LGBTQI+ Flag @LGBTHM. I know there are millions of underrepresented transracial people in the world and I want to elevate their voices and help them live their truth & be themselves."
Oli also received support from conservative commentators Ben Shapiro and Laurence Fox. "I AM KOREAN," Oli continued. "I was born in the wrong body! TRANSRACIAL is a thing! I invented it! If you can be transgender you can be TRANSRACIAL. Live your life to the fullest, be who you want to be and spread love."
