The Obsession With Beauty In Korean Society
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Obsession With Beauty In Korean Society

How KPOP and other cultural phenomenons shape Korean beauty standards.

2153
The Obsession With Beauty In Korean Society
Stocksnap

Last week, I was invited to talk to my school’s Center for Gender Equity on how the Korean entertainment industry shapes cultural beauty standards, especially with South Korea leading the world in cosmetic surgery. As I prepared for the panel, I was able to learn more about and make connections with several cultural aspects that I never would have thought about. For example, the now-global phenomenon of KPOP and Korean dramas has deep roots in Asian beauty culture. The entertainment industry proves to be a continuous message to consumers: beauty has a specific image.

At the beginning of the 21st century, particularly after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, South Korea began to utilize pop culture and tourism as a major export. In the age of seemingly endless opportunities, the South Korean government saw potential economic, social, and even political advantages that KPOP could bring to their global image. In 2018, with groups like BTS winning a Billboard Award and performing at the American Music Awards, South Korea has definitely succeeded in establishing a name for itself. And while the effects of this Korean cultural wave shine a positive light on Korean society, it also highlights the seemingly conservative and narrow cultural aspects that contradict with those of the Western world. Of these contradictions, beauty standards prove to be a hot debate on both the international and domestic fronts.

From a Western perspective, with several activist movements against conservative beauty standards, the diets of KPOP idols and even regular Korean citizens prove to be a significant culture shock. Before they can even make their television debut, KPOP singers go through intense diets to ensure a thin image that their consumers would be more appealed to. Girl groups are notorious for having several different diet regimens, including the sweet potato diet, paper cup diet, one-meal-a-day diet, and the 300-calories diet. These diets, while sounding harmful and dangerous, seem to successfully carve out the thin image of KPOP singers that their consumers supposedly want.

Therefore, it’s not really a surprise that, especially for Korean women seeking social and professional success, the pursuit of beauty is often an expectation. With over 980,000 recorded plastic surgery operations a year, skincare and makeup stores lining streets, and a photo requirement on their professional resumes, South Korea seems to hold beauty as a mandatory aspect for success.

The norm is beginning to change, however. Globalization works in both ways – while Western countries are being introduced to Korean culture, South Korea is equally intrigued by Western culture. More and more KPOP idols are beginning to embrace chubbier cheeks and healthier images. Korean celebrities and citizens alike are slowly, but surely, rejecting the portrayed static image of beauty.

As a Korean-American, I realized that I have grown up with a mixed outlook. With a family rooted in Korean culture and a social and formal education in America, I, like most other Asian-Americans, hold a unique perspective that stems from both cultural upbringings. The point of this article, therefore, is not to necessarily say that Korean beauty standards are barbaric and unnatural, but rather to understand the deeper cultural and societal roots of the Korean obsession with looking good. Cosmetic surgery and extreme weight loss diets continue to be considered social norm in South Korea, but with the cultural exchange of Western and Korean ideals, there is a push in the younger generations to move away from the idea that beauty has a single image.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

40648
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

25244
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

950857
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

132811
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments