Day 293

KOREAN STEREOTYPES: PART 1
BEAUTY AND PLASTIC SURGERY
Do all Koreans look the same?

For me, one of the most striking thing about Korean culture is the perception of beauty.  It's very different from the West, but also very different from what I expected.

Before coming to Korea, I had heard a lot of things about the country and its people.  Some things were good, some were bad.  Here were some of the 'stereotypes' about Korean people I had heard:


1.  All Koreans all look the same.
2.  Koreans are, on average, shorter than other races.
3.  Almost all Koreans are very skinny, and I'd be considered fat.
4.  All Koreans dress very fashionably.
5.  Koreans are terrible drivers.
6.  All Koreans love spicy food.
7.  Korean people are very loud.
8.  A lot of Koreans smoke.
9.  Expect lots of drunken old men.
10.  Koreans are obsessed with cell phones.
11.  Everything in Korea is efficient and convenient.
12.  Koreans treat foreigners very well.
13.  Koreans are obsessed with education, and have no hobbies outside of school.
14.  Korean men tend to be very controlling, and the women very submissive.


Now obviously I knew these were just stereotypes, but I was surprised by how accurate some were and how inaccurate others were.  For example, Koreans really are loud, they are terrible drivers (although amazing at parking), and I really do see drunken old men everywhere.  On the other hand, I know some Koreans who don't like spicy food, I don't see too many smokers, and most of the women I know are strong and independent ladies who would never take any crap from a man.  But I'm trying to tackle the subject of beauty here, so let's focus on that.

Before I got here, I really did believe that most Koreans looked very similar, to the point that I was concerned that I might not be able to tell them apart.  In my defense, the only Korean faces I'd ever seen were those of K-pop stars and celebrities, who actually and totally do look like clones.

These are all contestants in a beauty contest.  They all have the exact same face shape, eyebrows, eye shape,
nose shape, etc.  Nothing homogenizes quite like plastic surgery.

Here's a few photos of a popular girl-group, Girls Generation.  They even dress up to look the same.  Can you tell who's who in each photo?  A few have distinctive features, but for the most part, I can't distinguish them.  In an individual music video or photo I can tell them apart, but change their hair and makeup and I've got no clue.

And here's a close-up of their faces.

Slightly easier, but they all have the same eyebrows and
face shape in general.

I could go on and on with photos of K-pop stars and actors, but you get the idea.  They all look identical.

And it's not natural.  Almost all Korean pop stars, actors, and celebrities have undergone plastic surgery.  It's no secret; most are very willing to talk about what procedures they've had done.  Unlike in the West, plastic surgery is not considered a 'taboo' subject.  Plastic surgery is a popular industry here, and there are clinics and ads for those clinics just about everywhere.

One in five Korean women has undergone plastic surgery.  What kinds of plastic surgery are Koreans getting?  The most popular procedure is "blepharoplasty," or the eyelid surgery.  In Korea, having a crease in one's eyelid (also called a 'double eyelid') is considered very attractive.  The term is "sanggeopul" in Korean, and the sanggeopul surgery accounts for up to 10% of all plastic surgeries.  Some Koreans are born with a double eyelid, but many more are not.  The surgery doesn't just create a crease; it also widens the eyes and makes them rounder and larger.

All of the following photos are from an interesting tumblr blog, kpsurgery.blogspot.com.  I'm not sure where the blogger gets her photos, but the blog compiles photos of Koreans before and after having plastic surgery.

Notice how the eye is rounder and larger after the surgery.

Surgery is often a gift for high school graduates.  It's quick, easy, and not terribly expensive.  Before surgery, some young ladies use a special 'eyelid glue,' which is a sticky substance that they apply to the eyelid and use a flat pronged stick to push the skin into shape.  By the way, blepharoplasty is also done for non-Asians, but usually it's done on old people whose eyes are drooping to the point that they are unable to see.

Nose jobs are also common, as well as cheek and nose implants.  Koreans don't think flat faces are pretty.  They're also big fans of the "v-line" face, and will go to great lengths to get that v-shape.  The bones of the face can be filed down or even broken.

A few examples, all taken from the kpsurgery tumblr:

Notice how the shape of the jaw has been drastically changed.

The jaw shape has been changed, as well as a boob-job and the eyes.
I think she was prettier before.

I think this guy was better-looking before.

Eye, nose, and jaw surgery.

Here's an example of a drastic jaw surgery (plus a nose job).
This looks more dentally-necessitated than the rest.
I think it's incredible what they can do with the bones of the face!

Personally I think both these ladies were prettier before.

Here's a few examples of padding, to make the face less flat and to look younger.

Notice the forehead implant and the nose job?

Forehead and cheek implants, nose job, and chin work.

More forehead padding.

This guy looks more like a Jonas brother than a Korean after this surgery.

Cheek inserts and jaw filing.  This girl also appears to be wearing circle lenses.

There are some procedures here that are mindbogglingly odd to me.  For example, you can have botox injected into your calves to make them smaller.  Laser skin treatments to remove blemishes and discoloration are popular too.  There are whitening agents in all the skin creams and make-ups, because white skin is pretty here.  Snail gut cream is really popular too, apparently it's great for the skin?  Here are a few Missha products:

There are also plenty of men getting plastic surgery.  There's no shame in wearing makeup here for men; Korean men account for 10% of the men's cosmetics sales in the world.

Eye surgery isn't the only way to make your eyes look bigger.   Many work and other photo IDs are photoshopped.  Fake lashes and 'circle lenses' are also very popular here.  The circle lenses, which are like enormous colored contacts,  can change one's eye color or iris size.  They're a little freaky.

Lots of different colors!

The blue part is on the whites of the eyes.

I actually tried the circle lenses, thinking it'd be fun to change my eye color.  They're pretty cheap--about ten bucks a pair, and they last two weeks.  Unfortunately, they work a lot better on brown eyes.  My brown contacts couldn't cover up the natural blue color of my eyes, and so the contacts were basically invisible.  Apparently light-eyed people need special ones.  Very disappointing.

50% fake lashes and a circle lens.  50% eye natural.
100% freaky-looking.

There's also 'double eyelid glue,' which is exactly what it sounds like.  Girls who haven't had the surgery, often still in high school or middle school, use expensive glues to fake the double eyelid.  Here's a 2-minute video showing how to do it with eyelash glue and a bobby pin--very resourceful!

Now before you start wondering why Koreans go to such great lengths to look more Western, let me stop you right there: they are NOT trying to look more like white people.  Pale skin and big eyes are beautiful here, and yes, white people usually have pale skin and big eyes.  But saying that Koreans (or any other race) are trying to look more white is just plain silly and extremely ethnocentric.  White people don't go tanning because they want to look more like black people.  White people don't diet or get nose jobs to look more Asian.  We simply think that tan skin and thinness are beautiful; we're not trying to emulate a different race.  Neither are Koreans.


I'm not Korean and I wasn't raised in Korea, so I guess I have different ideas of beauty.  I don't think that the double-eyelid significantly improves appearance, and I think there's a lot to be said for one's natural looks.  Just because your face isn't perfect doesn't mean you shouldn't love it.  I mean, if your dog or your kid was ugly, you'd still love it.  Why is your own face any different?

My face isn't exactly supermodel-awesome, but it has all the right parts in the right places and they all work fine.
I don't plan on changing anything about it.

But beauty is a little more powerful in Korea than in America.  In America, it's generally frowned upon to use good looks to get ahead; we are adamant that you should strive to be judged based on your abilities rather than your appearance.  We even use beauty as a way to detract from some people's accomplishments, saying things like, "He only got the job because he's handsome," or "They only hired her for her boobs."

Korea is completely unabashed about using beauty to get ahead.  Most jobs require a headshot with the job application.  Plastic surgery is seen not just as vanity but also as an investment in one's future.  It can help you achieve your dreams, just like a college degree might.  And of course, plastic surgery isn't the only way to look good.  Makeup and skin products are a big industry here.  Dressing well is important too.

Probably less useful than pretty face in this country.  Fortunately, plastic surgery is also cheaper!

If a teenage girl in America says "I'm so fat and ugly," her friends will usually disagree, even if she really is fat and ugly.  In Korea, however, people are brutally honest and will agree with you.  I find the honesty refreshing, if a bit soul-crushing.  If you gain weight or forget to wear make-up one day, your coworkers and friends will call you out on it--not to be mean, but because they're concerned that something must be wrong, since you're not taking care of yourself.

"You're right, Kelly, you totally ARE fat and ugly."
I think in America we call that 'bullying,' but here
it's just being a normal friend!

In any case, it's good to be a non-Korean in Korea because us foreigners are usually exempt from the insane Korean beauty standards.  I haven't heard many complaints from the (admittedly small) black community, but Latinos and other naturally tan-skinned people seem to have a harder time than pale-skinned people.  I'm a petite white girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, so I can essentially do or wear whatever I want.  No makeup?  Bad hair?  Low-cut shirts?  Shoulder-baring running tops?  Strapless dresses?  Flip-flops?  All acceptable, or at least not cause for being ostracized.  This probably wouldn't be the case if I looked more Asian.

Possibly because they think we all look like this guy.
Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a large nose.

America might have a problem with the unrealistic portrayal of women (and men) in media, but Korea is far worse.  I'm incredibly grateful that I grew up learning that 'inner beauty' was important, and that looks weren't the only way to get ahead.  I love living in Korea, but I'm also very thankful that I'm not expected to live up to the nation's ridiculous standards of beauty.