For this cultural post, I would like to cover Korea’s beauty culture. Under K-beauty, there are a lot of standards that Koreans have to follow to be appreciated and accepted by society. Some influential factors include the Korean media and plastic surgery.
Some well-known physical features for women that Koreans have been emphasizing are having big eyes, pale skin, a small face, and an extremely thin body. This applies to guys, except that they need to be lean and tall. Overall, they value youthful appearances, which explains why K-pop idols are released at such a young age. These physical characteristics are used to judge someone and their lifestyle. For example, having a slim body meant that that person are not lazy and on track with life.
I believe that the biggest influence on these traditional beauty standards comes from the media, particularly K-pop idols and actors. These idols have extreme features that "qualify" them for the beauty standards mentioned above. These celebrities would expose their harsh diet plans and exercise routines in the media, causing young fans to copy them. A famous strict diet challenge that used to trend in Korea was a celebrity IU’s diet. She used to only consume one apple, two sweet potatoes, and a protein powder per day. This negatively affected fans as it is very unhealthy and unsustainable. Fans viewing and following these idols start comparing themselves to them with their own physical features. It is quite saddening to see how this can lead to self-hatred and insecurities. But lately, Korea has been slowly changing these beliefs to embrace and highlight uniqueness over traditional beauty standards. I believe that this attitude has been influenced by other countries, like America, making society a more supportive and loving place.
I came across this YouTube video on a Korean show called “Let Me In." Me-in means "beautiful woman" in Korean, so the title can also be interpreted as “let me become a me-in.” The show has multiple contestants who believe that their physical structures are in need of plastic surgery. The hosts and surgeons would determine, depending on their current status in life and their physical appearance, whether or not to give them a free makeover. It was shocking to see how plastic surgery is the main content of the show, criticizing one’s physical appearance. Also, it was saddening to see how the participants’ lives are considered “depressing” because of all the judgment from society.
When I studied abroad in Korea, I could tell that there would be specific streets that were full of places for plastic surgery. Especially, in Gangnam, which is known to be a wealthy community, almost everyone had gotten plastic surgery. Unlike in America, plastic surgery is highly accepted, easily spotted, and associated with wealth. I am hoping to see changes in this harsh beauty standard culture that Korea holds and that people start embracing and supporting one another without judgment.
Comments
Your cultural post reminded me the term 강남미인 Gangnam Me-in. 강남미인 Gangnam Me-in means beautiful woman in Gangnam, but it is usually used with bad intentions. It would actually have to mean the person had too much plastic surgery, almost looking like a 성형괴물 plastic surgery-monster. There is also a Korean drama named My ID is Gangnam Beauty, which focuses on plastic surgery and physical appearance.
I am very shocked at how fast Korea developed as a country over the 60 years. One way Korea developed was throught he entertainment shows. Often times people want to view it in the positive light but I am sad how the obsession with the entertainment programs in Korea has actually also brought negative influences to the society such as a very strict beauty standard.
Wow, interesting post Hannah! It is unfortunate that there are such high beauty standards in Korean society, but there seems to be hope for change as you mentioned. A few months ago, I watched this Korean drama called "My ID is Gangnam Beauty", and I thought it was it was interesting to see how big of an impact beauty standards and plastic surgery has on teenagers and young adults in Korea.
When you mentioned the IU diet, I thought about a different diet that is popular among Americans called keto diet. The keto diet can actually be harmful to the body because the body fully relies on burning fat and not carbs for energy. By burning fat, the body releases a byproduct called ketones and ketones can change the pH of our blood and impact absorption of certain substances. The keto diet is super popular because of its noticeable results, but is quite dangerous.