Being Biracial in Korean Ent.

WHEN HALLYU &POLITICS COLLIDE

Reflection of: Ideal Beauty in K-pop

K-PoP & AsiAn AmericAThe gap in musical aesthetics between American pop and Korean pop is shrinking.

ofContentsTable

Introduction to Seoul ‘N Pop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1When Hallyu & Politics Collide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Being Biracial in K-Pop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3K-Pop & Asian America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4–5Ideal Beauty in K-Pop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Get the Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Credits[1i] http://2nomads1narrative.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/kpop-concert.jpg[2t] http://seoulbeats.com/2012/02/when-hallyu-and-politics-collide-korea-japan-and-political-backlash/[3t] http://seoulbeats.com/2012/03/different-strokes-being-biracial-in-korean-entertainment/[3i] http://cdn1.ticketsinventory.com/images/thumbs/concert/i/insooni/insooni_6DzpUkxQ_YI.jpg[4i] http://robson.m3rlin.org/cars/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/hyundai_hcd8_concept_2004_01_b-copy.jpg[5t] http://seoulbeats.com/2012/01/k-pop-and-asian-america/[5ia] http://www.mobileworldmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/samsung_logo.jpg[5ib] http://diamondunlocking.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/lg-logo.jpg[6t] http://seoulbeats.com/2012/01/reflection-of-ideal-beauty-in-k-pop/[6i] don’t remember; image was saved in hard drive a long time ago[7i] http://www.frmheadtotoe.com/2011/04/iu-real-good-day-makeup-tutorial.html

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Table of Contents & Credits

Image: Photo taken of SMTown 2010, a yearly concert when korean idols tour all over the world to perform their most popular hits that year and meet-up with international fans.

“Seoul ‘N Pop” is a magazine that caters specifically to fans of South Korea and their entertainment industry. “Seoul” is a play on words: the original “Seoul”, the capital city of South Korea; the other being “soul” due to the link that’s shared between fans and the country that they hold close to their hearts. “Seoul ‘N Pop” focuses on topics that aren’t normally discussed. We deal with tough topics regarding political, social, and of course, commercial related issues. With a diverse culture that’s spreading around the world like a pandemic, “Seoul ‘N Pop” is the magazine to look out for.

Introduction to Seoul ‘N Pop 1

Hallyu&PoliticsWhen

C OL L I D ETo summarize briefly, Kim Tae-hee, who appeared in the Japanese drama, “99 Days with a Star”, came under fire for having apparently acted in support of South Korea’s claims to Dokdo, an island to which Japan also lays claim and calls Takeshima. Without exaggeration, the territorial control issue surrounding Dokdo is one of the largest sources of tension between South Korea and Japan, and Kim Tae-hee’s tacit support for South Korea in regard to Dokdo/Takeshima led to protest in October and a massive petition against her working in the Japanese entertainment industry. Hateful netizen comments accusing her of being anti-Japanese. While Japanese netizens have been calling the CF pro-Japanese, Korean netizens have responded by accusing Thai-born Nichkhun of being anti-Korean. Japan’s 35-year occupation of the Korean peninsula was at times horrifically oppressive, including attempts at eradicating Korean culture and language as part of a forced assimilation project undertaken alongside the Japanese war mobilization. Anti-Japanese/anti-Korean sentiment is still deeply entrenched in both societies and is often perpetuated through the education system. Though the older generation that remembers the colonial period and the Korean War is slowly starting to disappear, negative attitudes have persisted. I have to wonder what might have happened had Kim Tae-hee been a Japanese actress working in South Korea who had supported Japan’s claim to Takeshima; I imagine that the situation would actually be far worse.

Written by: Dana

When Hallyu & Politics Collide2

BeingBiracial

K-Popin

A bit of background on Insooni: born in the 1950s to a Korean mother and an African-American father who served in the American military, Insooni was raised by a single mother in a Korean society that was (and still is) reluctant to accept those who are racially different. People like Insooni still represent a growing and marginalized population; the “problem,” if you could even call it that, has multiplied in the South Korean countryside as farmers who find it difficult to marry Korean women increasingly take brides from Southeast Asia and produce mixed- race children. Called “Kosians”, these children have called attention to South Korea’s relative obsession with racial purity in that many have questioned how and where they will fit into Korean society. However, looking strictly at the entertainment world (and particularly the glam world of idol-dom), it is very easy to underestimate the difficulties faced by biracial Koreans. Moving outside the Korean entertainment field, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward has also received acclaim from the Korean government for being both a Superbowl champion and an MVP. South Korea has yet to adequately prepare for an increasingly multi-racial future. That mixed-race celebrities are given the royal treatment says very little if such treatment does not extend to the thousands of other mixed-race children and adults struggling to define their identity in the South Korean context.

Written by: Dana

“[I]t is very easy to underestimate the difficulties faced by biracial Koreans.”

Image: Half-Korean, half-African American singer, Insooni

Being Biracial in K-Pop 3

K-POP&

AsiAnAmerica

Image: 2004 Hyundai HDC8 Concept Car

K-Pop & Asian America4

If you are a K-pop fan, it is seemingly impossible to avoid talk of Hallyu

and, especially these days, K-pop’s increasingly rapid expanse towards the

American and Western markets.

In 2000, Laura C. Nelson, a researcher with MDRC, published an

ethnography on consumer habits in South Korea entitled Measured

Excess: Status, Gender, and Consumer Nationalism in South Korea. The

country itself makes a particularly interesting locale for research on this

topic because, as Ms. Nelson points out:

• South Korea’s economic rise has been staggering in its pace (following

the Korean War, 1950-1953, South Korea was poorer than Ethiopia; it

is currently the 15th largest economy in the word)

• The polices that were implemented to achieve such monumental growth

created an environment in which the act of consuming, or spending

money/purchasing goods, was inextricable from ideas of nation-building.

• South Korea was largely able to achieve a high growth rate due to heavily

emphasizing exports, cutting down on imports, and encouraging the

population to purchase Korean products as often and much as possible.

• There was a ban on the importation of Japanese cultural products,

along with many other Japanese products, that only ended in 1998. The

idea is clear : by reducing the number of imports, South Korea allowed

domestic competition, products, companies, and markets to flourish.

As such, Korean products themselves (and the way they were

consumed by the masses) became imbued with a nationalist character

and were sometimes even seen as points of pride, most notably

when these products were consumed at large in other countries (here I

refer mostly to electronics like those manufactured by LG and Samsung

as well as cars produced by Hyundai and Kia).

Regardless of K-pop’s origins, it is now fair to say that K-pop is often

understood as a product of Korea, and the consumption of K-pop has

not only contributed enormously to South Korea’s domestic economy,

but has made a definite splash across Asia.

South Korea’s rapid rise continues to contribute to the nationalist

discourse surrounding consumption, spending, and exports. And now K-pop

stands poised to be South Korea’s newest cash-cow export to the West.

As a cultural export, K-pop will be understood and judged overseas as a

wholly Korean product — and its success (or failure) may, along those lines,

be understood in South Korea as a success (or failure) of Korea itself.

While it’s possible and likely that a lot of the commenters really are

just butthurt fans, it’s also possible and likely that the motivation behind

such fierce defense of K-pop and Hallyu stars is linked to K-pop’s

associations with Korean nationalism and pride. A condemnation

or criticism of K-pop can, in this light, be seen as a condemnation of

South Korea or Korean culture itself — and that’s bound to provoke

some pretty fierce sentiment.

As a cultural export, K-pop will be understood and judged overseas as a

wholly Korean product — and its success (or failure) may, along those

lines, be understood in South Korea as a success (or failure) of Korea itself.

Written by: Dana

K-Pop & Asian America 5

The definition of beauty is elusive, and what is considered beautiful differs from culture to culture. Internationally televised beauty pageants, advertisements across all mediums, and compilation lists of “100 Most” continue to reflect and determine physical attractiveness on a worldwide scale demonstrating that ideal beauty, after all, is a reflection of one’s culture. Yet, what can be made of a list that does not reflect public opinion but represents modern ideal beauty inclusive of all cultures? Representing over 20 countries and based on millions of suggestions, The Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces is an international list that claims to represent ideal modern beauty based on aesthetic perfection as well as other attributes that define beauty such as grace, joy, elegance and promise. Climbing from 18th place in 2010, Korean actress and model Song Hye-kyo ranked 5th while Korean actress and model Go Ara (12th place) and K-pop Idol Jessica Jung (45th place) fell within the top 50. Although Ulzzang is an extravagant trend, it is based on the concept of beauty in Korea (large eyes, small noses, and flawless skin) that is also reflected in K-pop. Idols like KARA’s Goo Hara, SNSD’s YooNa, T-Ara’s Hyomin and actress Ku Hye Sun all share the same traits typical to the popular Korean beauty trend—natural, enhanced by makeup or attained through surgery. Hair extensions, eye-lid glue, and implants serve the same purpose as a golden ring added on every year following a Padaung girl’s fifth birthday, which is to attain the idea of beauty through means that portrays gracefulness, virtue, youth, or fertility; to capture something so elusive, yet eternal and undeniably powerful.

Written by: Maddie

IdealBeautyinK-Pop

“...the idea of beauty through means that portrays gracefulness, virtue, youth, or fertility; to capture something so elusive, yet eternal and undeniably powerful.”

Image: Professional model and actress, Shin Minah

Ideal Beauty In K-Pop6

Image: Professional model and actress, Shin Minah

GettheLook1. Start off covering your face with your desired

foundation, concealer, and blot powder(just the t-zone).2. Prime your eyes to help the eyeshadow last longer.3. Begin with a medium brown shade and apply on most

of your eye, concentrating on the inner & outer third, then blend towards the middle.

4. Go in with a darker brown colour and with a small brush, smoke it towards the bottom. Continue concentrating on the inner & outer thirds, then blending towards the middle.

5. Smooth out all the harsh edges with a blending brush.6. Take the lightest colour and use that to highlight your

brow bone. Also, add it to inside bottom corner of your eyes to brighten them up.

7. Take the small brush again and smudge some of the darker brown used in step 4 onto the lower lashline.

8. Go back and take the warmer brown colour used in step 3. and using the same brush, go over the dark brown smuding and soften it out.

9. Time to line your eyes. Make sure not to go super thick; starting off relatively thin, then gradually get thicker.

10. Taking a Q-Tip, smudge the outside of the line. By smudging it, you are giving it the effect of looking like a pencil lining.

11. Just barely, line the outer third of you lower lashline.12. Taking your eyeliner brush, just roll it on the inside

corner of your eye.13. For the inner part of your waterline, tightline.14. Curl your lashes and add mascara to the top and

lower lashes, then add some natural false eyelashes.15. The key feature to achieving this look are the long

wispy lashes, so trim a pair of dramatic lashes and and position them on your lashline. Keep them evenly spaced!

16. Apply an orange blush underneath the hollows of your cheeks, then blend out the edges with a powder brush.

17. Keep the brows natural, only applying some brow gel to achieve the wispy effect.

18. Finally, layer on a matte, sandy beige lipstick with a nude lipstick and you’re done!!

Based on: IU’s REAL album concept photos.

Original Tutorial by Jen (frmheadtotoe) youtube video link: http://youtu.be/yg-HD5anP78blog entry link: http://www.frmheadtotoe.com/2011/04/iu-real-good-day-makeup-tutorial.html

Get The Look 7