The culture presentation I did is about plastic surgery in Korean. I explored the reasons why plastic surgery is so popular in Korea rather than other countries. After doing research, I found that the economic boom is a contributing factor. Also Koreans are materialistic and have very competitive attitude in the society. Korea is a homogeneous country. For generations, it was a highly stratified society with a small ruling class. It was only in the past 30 years or so that an affluent middle class emerged and the quality of life improved for everyone. With newly acquired wealth, westernization and a need to express one's individuality, people sought ways to improve their appearance. It wasn't enough to feel wealthy, and people felt compelled to show it. Health and beauty have always been cherished in Korean society. Now for once people could actually go out and do something about it. They could look attractive, look different, and look wealthy. Also, if If you look at the most popular surgeries, they are based on uniformly Caucasian features: creating a visible eyelid, sharpening the nose or chin. One can argue that these cosmetic procedures now adhere to some Korean aesthetic. While that may be true, this aesthetic was unequivocally born from a western ideal of beauty.
Reference: https://myseoulsecret.com/why-is-plastic-surgery-so-popular-in-korea/
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