Korea
— Prof. Kim Seok-kwun of Dong-A University's
College of Medicine in Busan has some 220 gender
reassignment operations under his belt and is Korea's
leading authority in the field. In the wake of the
Supreme Court's decision that transsexuals can change
their official sex in the Family Register, the Chosun
Ilbo asked the professor's opinion. He started off by
explaining that living in torment because people cannot
accept their biological sex is the same as suffering from
deformity or disease."As doctors treat deformity and
diseases, so I treat transsexuals so they can lead a
normal life."
- What first got you
interested in gender reassignment surgery?
"When I taught at Busan
National University's Medical College in 1986, a man came
and asked me to perform a sex change operation for him. I
said no without giving it much thought. A few months
later, another two came, and they already had their
testicles and penises cut at another hospital. I felt
sympathy for them, so I decided to perform an operation
and studied the relevant cases. I found that there were
many of them in the U.S. and Europe. I performed
operations by building something similar to the vaginal
tract using muscles and nerves based on my original idea.
Since then, more than 20 people a year have come to me
for an operation."
- What kinds of people
are transsexuals?
"Very varied. Among those
who changed to women were a dentist, a professional, a
musician and a theater actor. Two or three are now
entertainers. A man in his sixties who wants to live as a
woman before he dies is waiting for an operation. Among
those who changed from woman to a man, the oldest was 53
years old."
- Are there common
characteristics?
"Most of them were raised
by single mothers or come from poor families. They say
that they started to recognize themselves in the opposite
sex from when they were about 10 and they grew confused
about their sexual identity after puberty."
- Were any of them
married?
"There were two. One
husband wanted to become a woman. He said he couldn't
live as a man. His wife agreed for him to have the
operation, but they decided to get divorced. I could
understand how desperate he must have been to make the
decision even though he had children."
- What do they say
when they see their new sexual organs after the
operation?
"They usually perk up
emotionally. They say they have finally become able to
live a true life. My own surveys have found that 75
percent were satisfied with their changed sexual organs,
while 10 percent were not."
- Was there anyone who
regretted having the operation?
"None. They had all
dressed and lived as the opposite sex for between a few
years and scores of years, and consequently suffered
contempt and ill-treatment. So some said they felt
ecstatic."
- Is it possible to
restore the original sex?
"In theory, it's
possible. There was a case in the U.S. where a woman
changed her sex and changed back again. But it's
technically difficult"
- How do they pay for
expensive operations costing W10-20 million
(US$10,000-20,000)?
"In the past, most
transsexuals who had the operation worked in
entertainment establishments. They spent their
hard-earned money on the operation. But today, many are
office workers. They use their savings, and in some cases
parents help out."
- You are a Christian.
Have you ever thought that changing sex the God gave goes
against Christian doctrine?
"A minister in my church
at first opposed my performing sex change operations. But
God does not always create normal people. Some are born
with six fingers or a harelip. I think treating those
with problems with their gender identity is the same as
doctors treating those born with deformity so they can
have a normal life."
- How do you think
society should view transgender people?
"They should not be
viewed as abnormal or controversial. They are a sexual
minority. A mature society should respect and protect
minorities."
