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

Jazmin Duribe

By Jazmin Duribe

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 London claims to identify as Korean
Oli London claims to identify as Korean. Picture: @londonoli via Instagram, Oli London via YouTube

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."

Jimin of BTS attends a press conference for BTS's new digital single 'Butter'
Jimin of BTS attends a press conference for BTS's new digital single 'Butter'. Picture: The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images

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.

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."