Choi Han-bit | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1987-06-16)16 June 1987 (age 38)[2] |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2009-present |
| Spouse | Choi Tae-il (m. 2023) |
| Modeling information | |
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft11+1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Agency | Stershop Entertainment, Gaon Entertainment |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 최한빛 |
| RR | Choe Hanbit |
| MR | Ch'oe Hanbit |
Choi Han-bit (Korean: 최한빛) is a South Korean model, actress and singer. She was a member of the South-Korean girl group Mercury.[3][4] She is a graduate of the School of Dance at theKorean National University of Arts inSeoul, where she majored inKorean traditional dance.[1][5][nb 1] With the support of her parents, Choi underwentmale-to-female sex reassignment surgery in 2006.[5][8][nb 1] She changed her given name to Han-bit, and is legally recognized as female in South Korea.[6][9] In an interview, Choi said that "living with the female body itself brought me the greatest feeling of euphoria", but also that she has "a fond memory of the past before the operation".[1] Prior to her surgery, she had appeared on theSeoul Broadcasting System (SBS) television showYoo Jae-suk's Jinsil Game in 2005.[7] She was a contestant onKorea's Next Top Model season 3, where she ended 10th.
Aftertransitioning, Choi began to pursue her lifelong ambition of becoming a model.[5] In 2009, she was amongst more than 1,200 applicants to the annual SBS-sponsored Super Model Contest, and gained public attention by progressing through the contest's preliminary rounds. Choi's participation drew mixed reactions from internet users and other contestants, but SBS officials stated that they would view it as a "violation of human rights" to disqualify a transgender individual whose legal sex was female.[6][9] As one of the contest's 32 finalists, Choi automatically qualified as a professional model.[5] Despite this, Choi claims to have faced discrimination in the modelling industry, having been refused participation in a fashion show without any clear reason.[1] Since taking part in Super Model Contest, Choi has appeared on a number of television shows and has expressed a desire to become an actress. She has said that she hopes to marry around the age of thirty, and will adopt two children.[1]
On 18 June 2023, Choi married businessman Choi Tae-il, who is seven years older than her inGangneung.[10]
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |