KATSEYE's Lara Comes Out as Queer, Calls Herself 'Half Fruitcake'

Lara, a singer in the popular girl group KATSEYE, is coming out as queer ... revealing she's known she was "half a fruitcake" since she was a kid.

The 19-year-old singer opened up about her sexuality while interacting with fans on the Weverse platform Monday ... admitting she was concerned it would negatively impact her while competing on the "Dream Academy" reality TV show that created the six-member ensemble.

“You know in Dream Academy, when it came out I was really really scared, to be honest," Lara said. "I didn’t know if people would accept me and I really thought it might ruin my chances of getting in."

But Lara said the reception she got from viewers during the process was overwhelmingly positive ... which allowed her to be more confident in herself.

As for her preferences, Lara used humor to get her point across ... saying she "really was wanting everybody" before she even turned 8 years old.

"Isn't 'half a fruitcake' such a good way to explain it without saying it?" she added.

The sextet -- which also includes Sophia, Manon, Daniela, Megan and Yoonchae -- gained notoriety through the reality show, which was also documented on Netflix's "Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE."

Lara's groupmates have yet to publicly comment on the news ... but we take it they're all supportive of her decision to open up to their fan base, the "EYEKONS."