An influencer born in England has hit back at criticism after undergoing multiple surgeries and revealing they now "identify as Korean".
Oli London, 31, is a singer and internet personality with more than 800,000 followers across Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
London, who is non-binary, released a video on YouTube revealing they had undergone 18 rounds of plastic surgery to look like BTS star Park Ji-min, also known as Jimin.
The surgeries include a facelift, brow lift, eye surgery, temple lift as well as new veneers, they explained.
London said they were now "feeling really good" after being "very unhappy with who I am deep down for the last eight years".
Oli London (L) feels Korean and Jimin from BTS (R) is Korean. Photo / Supplied
'I do feel Korean': London on new identity
"For the first time in my life I feel beautiful. I'm looking in the mirror and I love the way I look and feel happy, and I hope people can respect my decision," London said in the video.
During the video, London came out as non-binary while also revealing they considered themselves "they/them, Korean/Jimin".
"I know a lot of people don't understand me, but I do identify as Korean, and I do look Korean now. I do feel Korean.
"I don't identify as British, so please don't … refer to me as British, because I identify as Korean.
"That's just my culture, that's my home country. That's exactly how I look now, and I also identify as Jimin – that's my Korean name."
They also posted a rainbow version of the Korean flag to Twitter, tweeting that was their "new official flag for being a non-binary person who identifies as Korean".
They also claimed "TRANSRACIAL is a thing", tweeting: "I invented it! If you can be transgender you can be TRANSRACIAL."
This is my new official flag for being a non-binary person who identifies as Korean. Thank you for the overwhelming support it was so hard for me to come out as Them/they/kor/ean 🏳️🌈⚧ #olilondon#nonbinarypic.twitter.com/5uJp2dBQU5
People have claimed London's announcement is like 'blackface'. Photo / Instagram
'It's a mockery': London's announcement slammed
London's announcement saw some people criticise them and accuse the internet personality of cultural appropriation.
They claimed the influencer's decision to identify as Korean "gave transphobes the opportunity to invalidate trans people".
People also accused London of "blackface" and likened them to Rachel Dolezal, a white US woman who controversially identified as black.
as a Korean nonbinary person, I haven’t really talked about the Oli London thing. But, the fact that they are acting like it’s genuine and that it’s part of a “journey” due to a “identity issues” really irks me. It’s a mockery of trans people, it’s cultural appropriation. +
In response, London said they were living a Korean lifestyle. Photo / Instagram
In response, London told Daily Mail they had gone through "extreme lifestyle changes" to become who they were today.
"I eat Korean food every day, use Korean skincare, have plastic surgery to look Korean and I speak the Korean language – all of this shapes me as a person and my identity as a non-binary Korean person," they said.
London also told Sky News UK the announcement was "not about negativity or sparking controversy".
