British influencer and YouTuber Oli London has issued a public apology to BTS star Park Ji-min and the Asian community for undergoing dozens of surgeries to appear like the Korean pop idol.
London has come under fire for comments identifying as Korean and transracial, meaning identifying with a race different than one of biological ancestry.
London said they’ve undergone 32 surgeries, including six nose jobs, eye surgery, and a forehead lift, in what was described in one video as a bid to “achieve my Jimin look.”
In a YouTube video uploaded Monday, London apologized for the surgeries and for “trying to become another person.”
“It was wrong of me to try to emulate Jimin in such an obsessive way,” London said. “I realize now that it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
London explained that they were bullied as a teenager in school and felt lonely and unloved, which affected their self-esteem and created identity issues.
“That has been a big factor in me having surgery, me being unhappy, me also funneling my love into Jimin,” London said. “I really tried to model myself on that person because I thought that would make me happy.”
London explained that they recently got married, which helped them “grow as a person.”
“I can’t be another person. I just need to love myself. I’ve started to really love myself,” they said.
London issued a public apology to the singer and to “any member of the Asian community that has ever misunderstood me or misinterpreted me or thought maybe I was a little bit too obsessed with Jimin.”
London said they still identify as Korean, adding, “that’s never going to change.”
London announced that they identify as Korean in a video uploaded in June 2021.
“I am coming out as non-binary … my pronouns are they/them, Korean and Jimin. I know a lot of people don’t understand me but I do identify as Korean … I don’t identify as British,” London said.
In a statement shared with NBC News, London said they’ve faced ongoing bullying for how they identify.
“Since I shared my story with the world the bullying has only gotten worse and the level of abuse I receive on a daily basis for my identity as a Korean person is beyond horrifying and traumatic,” London said.
“I never meant to cause any offense with my actions and I am sorry if anyone misinterpreted or misunderstood my strong love for Korea and Korean culture,” London added.
London ended the Monday video saying: “I do struggle with identity issues … but I’m conquering these demons. I’m working hard. It’s not easy but I’m trying my best.”
London has been very open about their love for Korea on social media, where they have more than 63,000 subscribers on YouTube and one million on TikTok, posting about K-pop stars, creating their own music with references to Korean culture and documenting surgeries to change their appearance.
London tweeted Jan. 13, “Omg it’s my birthday tomorrow. I hope I become more Korean for my birthday.”
In a video uploaded in September 2021, London said they underwent a revision rhinoplasty and nipple surgery, adding the caption, “I have finally achieved my Jimin look and I feel 100% Korean finally.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
