Conforming to Norms: The Challenges of Transgender Identity in South Korea’s Medical Model and Social Systems

South Korean society marginalizes transgender individuals by erasing them through a form of omission. Nationally approved surveys and research exclude questions about gender identity, effectively removing transgender individuals from policy discussions. The absence of anti-discrimination laws protecting gender identity perpetuates a medical model that pathologizes transgender identity, selectively accepting only those who conform to normative standards. This study, based on in-depth interviews with 18 transgender individuals of diverse gender identities, explores how transgender identity is formed and expressed within mechanisms of social approval and regulation. It also examines how portrayals of transgender individuals across healthcare, legal systems, media, and popular culture omit their specific lived experiences and variations. Like other social norms, binary gender norms are maintained through daily practices and are idealized and reinforced by social pressure to conform. The research demonstrates that transgender individuals internalize societal norms and strive to conform, but paradoxically, they become "approximated beings" who fully belong to neither gender. However, they still exercise agency by using their economic, social, and cultural capital to challenge these norms, negotiating their identity through social interactions and seeking alternative gender norms that better align with their identities. This process is framed as a form of self-healing, similar to the sense of liberation feminism has provided for women. In conclusion, the study critiques the medical model for simplifying and homogenizing transgender lives and calls for future research to focus on the diversity of transgender identities and experiences. It highlights how transgender experiences vary based on class, race, disability, and sexual orientation, and it offers policy suggestions for South Korean society through comparisons with Western countries. Finally, the study considers the potential of transfeminism, suggesting a new intersection between feminism and transgender rights to expand social norms and support transgender individuals.