Korean boy band 2AM member Jo Kwon is furious after a Korean media outlet published a report which raised question about his sexual orientation.
A local media outlet came out with a story about him with the headline "Jo Kwon, Is this real? Do you want to date this man? Sorry, I'm a married man" together with a photo of him dressed as a woman for a TV show.
After he saw it, he posted a screen capture of the story on his Twitter account and wrote, "I've been ignoring all the gossip and malicious comments about me, but this is surely the lowest of low among the articles I've seen."
He added, "The title itself is begging for attention. It's almost derision. Hey, I'm sorry, too. Please keep your dignity when writing malicious comments. I wonder what's in their minds when pounding the keyboard."
Questions about his sexuality have hounded Jo Kwon for years because of his cross-dressing during certain performances on TV shows.
But he said he is "aware of those rumors, but I don't care at all. That's who I am, and I will keep expressing myself and my talents."
Last week, Jo Kwon released the single album "Dawn" and during a press conference, he was asked about his cross-dressing performances.
"Honestly, I wonder why I have to purposely hide my talent. They are the talents and skills I was born with. I have various talents and skills so I didn't want to promote with solely ballads. I debuted and worked my best as 2AM, a ballad idol group, and I will continue to work my best," he explained.
He added, "However, as the person Jo Kwon, there are many different parts that I'm skillful in. I wondered if it was necessary for me to throw away my talents and hide during promotions, and if that would make me happy."
Jo Kwon said he is not bothered by the rumors about his sexuality.
"It doesn't matter if you're a man, a woman, or whatever. I was born this way and I'm doing my best with what I'm given. I'm not too bothered by criticism and rumors. I want to become an artist who can use those factors as a great influence rather than being stressed over it. I hope there are people who gain confidence and courage by seeing me," he said.
