The half Nigerian, half Korean teenager became a trending model in South Korea after going viral on Instagram. However, he admits he faced harsh racial discrimination before the fame. 

To TIME, Han Hyun Min opened up about the struggles and stated, "There are so many prejudices about darker skinned people in South Korea," and further explained, "When I was in kindergarten, some of the mothers in the playground would tell my friends, 'Don't play with him. If you play with him, you will become darker too.'"

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Through his modeling career and uniqueness, Han Hyun Min hopes to break through barriers and change the beauty standards of South Korea. 

You can check out Han Hyun Min's viral Instagram account here.