HARISU, 33, is the first and most successful transsexual celebrity in Korea.
Her marriage to singer Micky Jung made news all over Asia last year, and she continues to juggle an active singing and acting career.
Last month, she made news for posting pictures of her new short-haired image online. It was the first time she had chopped off her signature silky tresses since her debut in 2001.
Born Lee Kyung Yup, she reportedly underwent a sex-change operation in 1995 and debuted as an actress in the film Yellow Hair 2.
The sexy star went on to release five pop albums and also starred in the Hong Kong film Colour Blossoms.
Despite her success, Harisu said on TV recently that she still faces discrimination.
'Many people pretend to smile and welcome me, but after the filming, they'd scold me behind my back.'
Not that it has slowed her down.
Harisu released a mini album last month and roped in her hubby to duet with her in the song First Snow.
POP GROUP: LADY
In 2005, three Korean transsexuals debuted as the pop group Lady.
Sinae, 32, Sahara, 28, and Binu, 25 first grabbed headlines for showing off their bodies in a nude pictorial book.
The sexy trio, who emerged from a transsexual talent search in Seoul, then released a collection of Eurodance tunes and travelled as far as Taiwan to promote their CD.
Critics slammed their debut as a mere marketing stunt, but they vowed to prove their talent. Pity the trio failed to sustain its popularity and officially disbanded early last year.
