south korea’s metamorphosis of beauty

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Running head: South Korea’s Metamorphosis of Beauty

South Korea’s Metamorphosis of Beauty

Walid Medani

George Mason University

S o u t h K o r e a ’ s M e t a m o r p h o s i s o f B e a u t y | 2

Abstract

Societies commonly change and adapt both socially and economically after disastrous

crises such as environmental hazards and wars. South Korea is no stranger to this concept and

has numerously transformed itself throughout its history, especially after the end of World War

II, where it gained independence from Japanese imperialism. However, South Korea not only

transformed socio-economically, but it also remodeled the traditional culture, specifically the

importance of outward show. Since the aftermath of World War II, there has been a shift in

the standard of beauty amongst South Korean women. This deviation is influenced by the

media, westernization and socio-economic factors. With the existent immense level of

pressure in the suicide inclined South Korea; this shift is bound to present a new burden.

Topic Description

Human augmentation is a topic that will in the future become more relevant in the

coming years. Vast technological advancements have introduced the enhancement industry as an

invaluable asset to the medical field. Ranging from implants to prostheses, human enhancements

have convincingly reinforced individual’s lives. However, human enhancements present societal

pressure on individuals, particularly in appearance.

From bulimia to male enhancements, individuals strive for the perfect body image in the

21st century, more so than in the past. Technology is in the prospect of maintaining an

individual’s youth visually with anti-ageing injections, implants, hair loss, liposuction, Botox

and facial reconstruction. With high demand for an effortless process to attaining the perfect

body, augmentations are becoming the answer. The statistics for cosmetic surgery have

constantly been rising since 1997, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic


Surgeons; around 15 million cosmetic surgeries were performed in 2011. The endeavor for

beauty has always remained for women throughout centuries, however with globalization

diminishing borders; could the standard of beauty throughout the globe change?

South Korea’s Allure

South Korea is ranked first in the world for most cosmetic procedures per capita

according to the International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures. Medical tourism is an

important asset to South Korea’s GDP, the cosmetic industry itself is unregulated but heavily

protected by the government. Cosmetic surgery in South Korea appeals to all of the Asian

countries as the premiere location, particularly China, “of the 620,823 Chinese interviewed, more

than 50 per cent expressed a desire to undergo cosmetic surgery in Korea” (Davies & Soo-Han,

2012, p. 152). When the global financial crisis hit the industry, the government allowed its

citizens to temporarily claim tax credit on plastic surgery (Hwang, 2012, p. 61). The government

in 2008 invested approximately $1 billion US to advertise South Korea as the prominent location

for aesthetic surgery tourism (Hwang, 2012, p .61).

A 2009 survey found that one in five women in Seoul, South Korea has undergone plastic

surgery (Conley, 2012, Para. 3). South Korea’s most popular cosmetic surgeries are eyelid

surgeries and nose jobs. These two popular cosmetic surgeries aim to create the western

attributes of round eyes and slim straight noses. The double eyelid surgery creates an upper

eyelid that makes the eyes rounder, similar to westerners’. Comparatively to the United States,

Kaw (1993) argues that Asian American women undergo cosmetic surgery in order to escape

racial prejudice that correlates their physical features with negative behavioral characteristics

such as dullness and passivity. In his interviews, he observed that Asian American women that


went under the knife were ultimately motivated by racial ideology; such as the 21 year old who

underwent double eyelid surgery to not be perceived as a dull bookworm. Cosmetic surgery does

not however always convey the conformity of the Caucasian standards of beauty, it could also be

a procedure undergone for the appeal of vibrant youthful eyes in South Korean society.

But, according to Holliday & Hwang (2012), current ideal characteristics were

antagonized by Korean culture in the past, for instance, Korean physiognomy has traditionally

characterized round eyes for women as suggesting lasciviousness, yet round eyes are currently

desirable, while a large ‘moon face’ has historically connoted fertility and therefore value for

women, yet women are now having their faces narrowed (pg. 71). The endeavor for beauty

however can be seen as an extension of past culture,

Desire for aesthetic surgery as a continuation of pre-modern ‘virtuous femininity’ that

required (upper-class) women to adhere to a strict Neo-Confucian decorum…. Neo-

Confucian ethics in Korea advocated conformity as a virtue that measured social success

by approximation to an elite class image which can still be seen in the extremely limited

range of beauty ideals promoted in the media (Hwang, 2012).

Ramifications

Jung & Forbes (2006) observed body dissatisfaction in 139 Korean and US college

women and found that the Korean sample exhibited greater body dissatisfaction than their US

counterparts when body size was controlled on both the Body Esteem Scale. And in a study of

267 students, Swami (2012) found that the majority of South Korean university students accept

cosmetic surgery. This level of dissatisfaction is detrimental to South Korean society because of

the already present high rate of suicide. South Korea ranks third in the world for highest suicide


rates with its 22 out of every 100,000 people taking their lives, in fact, suicide is the leading

cause of death for those under the age of 40 (Yonhap News Agency, 2011, para. 1). This is

mostly due to the overwhelming pressure of academic success, but appearance too has recently

become a growing cause, “Hwang Sang-min, a professor of psychology at Yonsei University in

Seoul, argues that Korean society's strong focus on appearances--having the right education, job

or perceived level of success--is a big factor in the high suicide rate. "Koreans always want to

show their best image to other people," he notes, but when this cannot be maintained, it can lead

to a desire simply to "give up"” (The Economist, 2010, para. 3)

Over 40% of the survey respondents in the Feb. 20-27 poll by the Korea Health

Promotion Foundation, an affiliate of the finance ministry, said that school pressure and

future uncertainty concerned them the most. More than 17% in the survey

of 1,000 Koreans aged 14 to 19 said that they were mainly stressed over their looks, and

16% by family troubles (Kang, 2014, para. 2)

So what is exactly influencing the motive behind this new trend of beauty? Below I’ll

examine the impetuses of the new standard of beauty.

Westernization

The spread of western media through globalization could have also influenced the

standard of beauty in South Korea. South Korean women could feel obliged to pursue western

attributes due to western media influences, “As a non-white race, Korean women’s bodies were

branded as inferior and flawed and the images of white women conveyed through mass media in

such forums as Miss Universe competitions and Hollywood movies presented a beauty ideal that

Korean women felt obliged to pursue” (Woo, 2004)


The shift to westernization could also be observed in the colonization of Korea. Japan’s

rule over the vast majority of Asia was cruel and brutal in the 20th century; Korea was no

stranger to Japanese imperialism. The inability to form intellectual and political groups under

Japanese law lead to a national identity crisis in Korea. Korean liberation movements looked

towards western ideals in response to Japanese culture claiming their superiority over Korea,

The western body, then, was mobilized in defiance of Japanese standards of beauty – as

anti-colonial discourse. While in contemporary Korea particular forms of Japanese

popular culture are embraced and emulated (sometimes themselves imported from

elsewhere), the postwar situation highlights how appearances – faces and bodies – have

been deployed in political and local struggles through complex interplays of sameness

and difference. (Holliday & Hwang, 2012, pg. 69)

Did this transformation come about from foreign influences such as westernization? Or did

factors within South Korea give rise to this new ideal beauty?

Media

Could media have helped normalize and spread cosmetic surgery? South Korea is

remarkably technologically intertwined to the extent that 97% of households have internet

connection (Freedomhouse.org, p.2). South Korea is polluted by cosmetic surgery

advertisements throughout cities and even movies such as 200 Pound Beauty romanticize the

subject. Cosmetic surgery articles and cafes litter the South Korean web. Davies and Soo-Han

(2012) found that cosmetic surgery is favorably looked upon in internet forums with little

evidence of the contrary,


At Daum, public interest in cosmetic surgery is reflected in the some 6793 online

communities (known as 'internet cafes') hosted on this portal that actively promote

cosmetic surgery. In stark contrast, Daum hosts only around 165 'cafes' that address the

negative consequences of cosmetic surgery…..Our survey of online Korean

communications (including media reports and comments posted at ‘cafes’ and blogs)

reveals that positive views of cosmetic surgery greatly exceed negative ones. (p. 149)

Entertainment media has in no doubt facilitated the normalization of cosmetic surgery in

South Korea. But what empowers media and also has a significant amount of influence on South

Korea society is the celebrity culture. Like most societies, celebrities fuel pop culture and serve

as inspiration to individuals; a double edged sword that brings about adverse repercussions.

Cosmetic procedures done by celebrities circulate all over media outlets and it’s typical in media

interviews for celebrities to mention the name of the clinic where they received cosmetic

surgery,

For example, Shin Eun-Kyoung, one of Korea’s most popular actresses, announced on 23

August 2011 that she had her chin ‘trimmed’. For the next week, all of the Korean-

language media outlets listed above displayed ‘before-and-after’ photographs of Shin’s

face. Clicking any news item about Shin’s surgery on the homepage takes the reader not

only to the full report but also to numerous advertisements featured along the margins,

many of which are for cosmetic surgery clinics. These advertisements typically feature

pre- and post-surgical photographs with brief statements about the procedure’s

affordability and the excellent results achieved (Davies & Soo-Han, 2012, p. 150)


This reverence of celebrity culture is detrimental since celebrity suicide is an unfortunate

trend present in South Korean entertainment culture. Even South Korea’s former president along

with other numerous high profile celebrities have suicided in recent years. They impact the

suicide rates of South Korea by what is known as the Werther Effect, in which normal

individuals copy the suicides of celebrities due to the extensive amount of media exposure. This

dilemma is bound to expand as long as South Korea neglects the importance of mental health.

Mental illness isn’t regarded as an illness in South Korea; instead “psychiatric disorders and even

neurological medical conditions such as autism are more likely to be pegged to poor parenting,

weak character, religious providence, or a family curse” (Scull, 2014, p. 830). Many believe that

mental illness will resolve over the course of time and even South Korean law discourages

seeking help since you’d be officially classified as a mental patient if you sought any counseling

for a mental health issue.

Socio-Economics

South Korea’s quick rise to economic growth despite being a small country was a result

of its export-oriented economic strategy. Favoring free trade agreements and open markets lead

to the adoption of a neoliberal system and with this political stance came the exposure to western

ideology, "Gender issues in post-IMF Korean society showcase how South Korea has

transformed into a neoliberal system. Transition to a neoliberal system led to the increase of

body care and cosmetic surgery, private marriage matching service, and efforts of students to

raise their human capital" (Joo-Hyun, 2009, pg. 1).

The push for individuality was caused by neoliberal labor policies that started the

“phenomena of increasingly delayed marriages, a free-falling birth rate, rapidly rising divorce


rate, an increasing percentage of female householders and single households, and increasingly

longer periods for women to be unmarried” (Joo-Hyun, 2009, pg. 38). As a result, Woo (2004)

states that it was then when “the Western image of ideal beauty came to replace the existing

Korean ideal of beauty, and the industry in Korea became dependent on medical techniques and

surgical operations that were originally created with Western women in mind” (pg. 60).

Women began to stray from relying on men as the sole providers after the IMF crisis that

devastated Asia in 1997. It was then that the motherly role shifted to that of a pleasure seeking

and socially active feminine one (Woo, 2004, p. 60). Beauty was an outlet of experiencing

empowerment and it enabled women to gain social recognition in a gender-biased society.

However, Woo (2004) claims that women undergo these “violent” transformations in order to

experience empowerment; resulting to a woman’s body becoming an object of consumption

rather than identity. This is evident in South Korea’s job market where good looks make a

woman more competitive.

In his research, Woo’s interviews with women who have undergone cosmetic surgery

claimed that they received better prospects both in the job market and dating. Unique to South

Korea, job applications require a photo of the applicant which correlates with the importance of

physiognomy to South Koreans, “Many Koreans believe that they can read a person's character

or fortune from facial features, including the complexion of and birthmarks on the face.

Accordingly, certain characteristics of the face are considered "prosperous-looking," e.g., white

complexion, a long nose, double chin, and a round, plump nose” (Kim, 2005, p. 291). A few

companies have been known to have physiognomy specialists analyze applicants, a survey of

1,181 personnel managers found that 79.5% of the respondents stated that applicant’s looks

affected their hiring decision (Kim, 2005, p. 292). This obsession with physiognomy isn’t only


inclusive to hiring practices, 51.7% of South Koreans believe you can read a person’s character

by looking at their face. There’s a common belief that good looks improve a student’s chances of

getting ahead and enjoying university life.

Closure & Contemplation

With globalization making nation states’ borders transparent, the flow of information and

ideology has changed the global landscape. Since the aftermath of World War II, South Korea’s

rise to economic power has led the country to freely exchange with other countries, bringing

about different cultural practices. Outside influence has caused a deviation from past culture,

leading to a shift in the standard of beauty amongst South Korean women. This deviation is

influenced by the media, westernization and socio-economic factors.

The necessity for beauty furthermore adds to the societal pressures present in South

Korea. Physical appearance improves an individual’s chance of success and happiness in the

physiognomy critical society and workplace. This additional stress is detrimental due to the

globally leading high rate of suicide already present from academic and economic pressure.

Soaring body dissatisfaction levels coupled with the acceptance of cosmetic surgery expedites

anxiety and body dysmorphia in individuals. This dilemma is further exacerbated by South

Korea’s disregard for improving mental health and disdain for sufferers who seek counseling. In

order to mend this predicament: South Korea would need to revamp its mental health treatment,

regulate the cosmetic surgery industry to ensure safety and most importantly reduce the societal

pressure of attaining the ‘perfect’ image. This overturn will prove troublesome since the

competitive spirit encouraged by its society is what led to South Korea’s economic success.


Method

To further validity of my thesis “Since the aftermath of World War II, there has been a

shift in the standard of beauty amongst South Korean women”; I would go about conducting

surveys and interviews with both recipients and non-recipients of plastic surgery in South Korea,

ideally (n=250). These surveys and interviews would seek to find out why plastic surgeries are

undergone in South Korea and to find out the influences behind such decisions. In these

interviews I would ask open ended questions such as “why is plastic surgery prevalent in South

Korean society?” to elicit numerous responses. Surveys will measure the attitude and beliefs

regarding plastic surgery in South Korea and will be administered to a broad range of

participants

I would also conduct observational research such as ethnography to study the cultural

phenomena of plastic surgery in South Korea. Observing media reports, internet communities

and advertisements to answer my sub question “How do Korean entertainment media outlets

portray and influence the standard of beauty?” I would continue archival research by continuing

analyzing journals and statistics related to plastic surgery in South Korea and its past and present

culture to discover the contributors of the shift in the standard of beauty. This research will

utilize and compile both qualitative and quantitative data to locate research in South Korean

society.


References

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south korea’s metamorphosis of beauty

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