Singer Ha Ri-su. [Herald Pop (now Herald Muse) provided]
Singer Ha Ri-su. [Herald Pop (now Herald Muse) provided]

Broadcaster Ha Ri-su has opened up about her health in the three decades since her gender reassignment surgery.

A video titled "The original TG Girls' big sister Ha Ri-su is here! I'll set the record straight on cosmetics model rumors and gossip!" was posted Tuesday to the YouTube channel TG Girls.

In the video, Ha Ri-su — South Korea's first openly transgender broadcaster — appeared alongside transgender creators Kkotja and Ssehi to discuss a range of topics.

When the conversation turned to health and fitness, Ha Ri-su said she was "honestly not exercising" and went on to describe her condition since her surgery.

"I had my gender reassignment surgery fairly early — in 1995. It has been 30 years now," she said. "At the time, I was told that consistently receiving female hormone injections after the surgery could be harmful to other organs, so I lived without getting the shots."

She then revealed that the decision had led to an unexpected health problem. "Because I was not getting them, I was diagnosed with early-stage osteoporosis six years ago," Ha Ri-su said. "My bones were worse than an 80-year-old grandmother's." The disclosure visibly surprised those present.

She added that resuming hormone treatment was not a straightforward option either. "Starting again feels a bit awkward too. I hear it just makes you gain weight," she said, candidly sharing her ongoing dilemma over hormone therapy.


min3654@heraldcorp.com