For most listeners, country music evokes stories of heartbreak, perseverance and second chances. For Hurricane Kimchi, it became the only genre that felt honest enough to tell their own story.

Hurricane Kimchi, also known as Heezy Yang, is known throughout Korea's LGBTQ+ community as a drag performer, activist and event organizer, having spent more than a decade entertaining audiences while advocating for greater visibility and inclusion. But their latest single, "Broken (Slay, Queens!)," marks a different chapter — one shaped not by the stage, but by illness.

Released as their 10th original single, "Broken" draws on the artist's experience living with chronic health complications after contracting COVID-19 and influenza back to back in 2022.

"I've been sick both on the outside and inside," they said. "Yet I'm still here today. This whole experience and the fact that I'm still alive while being broken — that's the message I wanted to convey."

Although Hurricane Kimchi is best known for pop music and energetic drag performances, country music offered something they had been searching for.

"I realized that a lot of country songs were more direct and straightforward with messages and storytelling," they said. "I wanted my next song to be simple and honest."

Inspired by artists including Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan, "Broken" pairs upbeat country-rock production with lyrics about learning to live with chronic illness rather than trying to escape it.

"The hardest part wasn't just being sick," they said. "It was accepting that this had become my new normal."

That honesty has become a defining characteristic of Hurricane Kimchi's artistic journey.

Long before becoming a drag performer, they followed a path many young Koreans would recognize. They excelled academically, enrolled in a respected university's business program and pursued what seemed like a stable future. Yet despite meeting others' expectations, something felt missing.

"I finally came to realize this wasn't who I was and enough was enough," they recalled.

Leaving university allowed them to pursue the creative interests that had been part of their surroundings since childhood. Their father worked in the film industry, exposing them to artists from an early age, while drawing, music and performance gradually became central parts of their own life.

Their introduction to drag came in 2014 after meeting local queer performers who later became friends.

"I'd never been a dancer," they said. "I didn't even know how to move my body."

Learning how to dance eventually transformed both their performances and confidence. What began as experimentation evolved into a career spanning music, drag, visual art and community organizing.

For Hurricane Kimchi, however, drag has never been solely about entertainment.

"There wasn't one specific moment when I realized drag was political," they said. "I've always been surrounded by artists and activists, so it came naturally."

As Korea's LGBTQ+ community has gained greater visibility in recent years through television, K-pop and online media, Hurricane Kimchi believes acceptance has not progressed at the same pace.

While welcoming the growing popularity of drag aesthetics and voguing in mainstream culture, they argue that the LGBTQ+ community itself is often left out of the conversation.

"LGBTQ+ culture is becoming more visible and even profitable in Korea," they said. "Most of the time, the people who profit from it simply call it 'culture' or 'art,' omitting the LGBTQ+ part."

Beyond broader society, they also hope to see greater inclusivity within the community itself, particularly toward transgender people, queer women and people of different racial and national backgrounds.

"I plan to keep fighting discrimination by creating art, events and safe spaces that can welcome everyone," they said.

For now, that mission continues through music.

While Hurricane Kimchi says a full-length album is unlikely in the immediate future because of commitments across multiple creative projects, they hope to continue experimenting with new genres, including disco, R&B and pop-punk.

But regardless of style, they hope every song carries the same message as "Broken" — that resilience is not about pretending pain does not exist, but about continuing despite it.

"It's about being broken on the outside and inside," they said, "but still being here."

Next week, Hurricane Kimchi will release an alternate version of "Broken (Slay, Queens!)" and a music video. For the new version, they removed the drums so it sounds less rock and more country.

Antonia Giordano is a freelance photographer and writer based in Seoul. An adoptee, Antonia deeply understands and connects with the issues surrounding adoption and post-adoption. Visit giordanoantonia.myportfolio.com and follow @antonia_creative_services on Instagram.