안녕하세요!
annyeonghaseyo!
(hello in korean)
First and foremost, these are a few facts you should know about South Korea.
1. The full name of South Korea is The Republic of Korea.
2. The capital of South Korea is Seoul.
3. The major language of South Korea is Korean and English is taught as a second language in most schools.
4. The major religions of South Korea is Buddhism, Christianity and nearly half of adults profess no religion.
5. The current president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye is the sixth President of the sixth Republic of Korea and she is currently the first female president of South Korea.
 |
| National Flag of South Korea |
What is the first thing that pops into your mind when someone mentions K-pop? I think the answer from most of you would be “Oppa Gangnam Style!” This song was released in 2012 by Psy and it became the most famous song in the world. It became the first YouTube video to reach a billion views. Even U.S. President Barack Obama cited the success of "Gangnam Style" as an example of how people around the world are being "swept up" by the Korean Wave of culture.
Korean wave is a neologism referring to the increase in the popularity of South Korean culture since the late 1990s. First driven by the spread of K-dramas televised across East and Southeast Asia, the Korean Waveevolved from a regional development into a global phenomenon due to the proliferation of Korean pop (K-pop) music videos on YouTube. Korean wave also includes different aspects like films, language and cuisine. Currently, the spread of the Korean Wave to other regions of the world is most visibly seen among teenagers and young adults in Latin America, Northeast India, the Middle East, North Africa, and immigrant enclaves of the Western world.
Korean pop music is undoubtedly the leading force in the Korean culture boom that is attracting thousands of visitors to the country. In fact, the music itself is not the decisive factor in the popularity of K-pop. Many fans admit to liking the group for its members' looks and their personality. Besides their singing talent, fans are mostly attracted to their appearance. This is because almost every singer, actor and actress in South Korea looks perfect. They have a tall nose, double eyelids, pale skin, bright eyes, a beautiful smile and perfectly trussed hair. For example,
 |
| Actress Kim Tae Hee |
 |
| Taeyeon and Jessica from SNSD |
 |
| Yoona from SNSD |
 |
| Taecyeon from 2PM |
With the increasing number of fans as the number of K-pop groups is increasing, this causes more and more fans who want to change their look so that they will be able to look like their K-pop idols and one of the most common ways is by Plastic Surgery.
Like what everybody says, "It's common to change one's face in Korea."
A South Korean plastic surgeon operates on a woman who wants to have double eyelids in Seoul on March 23, 2009. (Jo Yong Hak/Reuters)
"I think I'm ugly, and nobody wants to love me. Just like her I wanna be pretty. I wanna be pretty," sings Lee Chae-lin, member of the four-person Korean girl group 2NE1. The song, "Ugly" was released in July 2011 in South Korea and rose to number one in the Korean charts. One reason for its success is that its themes -- of insecurity, social awkwardness and body awareness -- resonated deeply within South Korea, a culture where children are bred to be brilliant, in both studies and appearance. Despite the lyrics, the band members have also had surgery and fit the ideal beauty standard here.
Cosmetic surgery is rampant in all of South Korea. The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons reported that ONE in FIVE South Korean women has had some form of surgery, and this number includes adolescents. The most common procedure by far is that of the double eyelid, also known as blepharoplasty.
One of the main reasons that eyelid surgery is so prevalent here is that it is considered on par with beauty treatments, not surgery. Citizens see it as so minimally invasive that they rarely take time off work or studies afterward. These days, an increasingly skilled workforce needs to unwind, and the Korean Pop scene provides a respite to those working 16-hour shifts. Pop Singers shape the youth culture and alleviate work stress through repetitive songs and flirty short skirts. They've created a beauty physique that is adored by both sexes, and their blend of light-hearted pop and innocence has led to their images being plastered onto everything from cereal boxes to beach towels and socks.
This type of beauty is idolized by Korean media, and its influence has led to specific requests in cosmetic surgery clinics. "Some patients bring photos of K-pop stars and request to look like them," said Kevin Van Noortwyk, the international business development coordinator for JK Plastic Surgery Center in Seoul, South Korea.
South Korea's growing obsession with plastic surgery became apparent when pictures of a group of aspiring beauty queens posted online prompted claims that cosmetic procedures have left all the contestants looking the same. Pictures of the 20 Miss Korea 2013 finalists were posted online fuelling speculation that many of them had undergone surgery and prompting users to criticize the Asian nation's growing trend to go under the knife. The popularity of surgery, particularly among the young, has been blamed by some on a desire to look more 'western' fuelled by an obsession with celebrity culture.
As you can see in the picture below, all of the women vying for the crown of Miss Korea 2013 have dark, perfectly trussed hair, either tumbling over their shoulders or neatly tied up, pale skin, bright eyes and a perfect bright white smile.
Korean dramas regularly feature a society where cosmetic surgery is a large part of the plot, thus normalizing the concept of operations and changing the way the citizens view the procedures. A good example of this is the 2006 movie 200-Pound Beauty.
 |
| The one on your left is how the girl looked before plastic surgery and the one on your right is how she looks after it. |
"The place of plastic surgery narrative in Korean popular culture is a great indication of how normalizing it is there," said Sharon Hejiin Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University. "All these films with sub narratives about minor characters that have had or are having plastic surgery. The stars of pop culture are getting younger, and so are their fans."
Another influence for Korean schoolchildren is their struggle to get ahead. The attraction of cosmetic surgery lies in the notion of being able to transform yourself, to create an identity that you feel you should have been born with, regardless of nature and history. Enmeshed in the culture, it's easy to see why so many might change their faces to fit in. So, most of the South Korean High Schoolers get Plastic Surgery for graduation and some even before that because good students who get good grades for their exam will be rewarded with plastic surgery from their parents. It has also become a tradition in most of the families in South Korea because it also encourages students to study hard in order to be able to undergo a plastic surgery.
In fact, nowadays, not only women undergo plastic surgery but men are also going for plastic surgery and the number of men going for it is also increasing.
These are a few pictures of Before and After Plastic Surgery.
Even K-pop Idols undergo Plastic Surgery
 |
| Kwanghee from Ze:A |
 |
| Goo Hara from Kara |
 |
| Jessica from SNSD |
Even so, doing plastic surgery is still not enough to make one look beautiful. Almost every citizen of Korea uses skincare and make-up to enhance their image. This doesn’t only apply to females but also males. In fact, South Korea is the male make-up capital of the world. It has the largest market for male skincare than anywhere else– even though there are only approximately 19 million men in South Korea. Sales of cosmetics for men and male skincare are on the rise. In recent years the market for beauty products for men in South Korea has emerged and has been widely embraced which has led to its considerable growth. It is estimated that at least 1 in 10 men wear make-up and this number is likely to increase and also the amount of money spent on skincare and make-up is also increasing.
This is a girl who got so addicted to make-up; she finally removed her make-up after two years. During a variety show, dermatologists managed to convince her to finally remove the layers of make-up, and after a specialized check-up they found her skin was two times older than her actual age.
 |
| In many South Korean schools, teachers routinely collect mobile devices from their students during school hours. The government said it plans to train teachers how to deal with students who suffer smartphone addiction. |
Did you know?
- When the first night of the new year comes, everybody hides their shoes. This is because there is a belief that a ghost will come down and try on everyone's shoes. If the ghost finds a pair it likes it will take it. It is the belief that the owner of the shoes will then have bad luck for the entire year.
- Korean taxis are color coded and each color is an indicator of the type of services available. For example, gray and white taxis offer basic comfort, whereas a black colored cab is a luxurious car and a veteran driver.
- As most people, South Koreans too have their set of superstitions, and one of its manifestations is the absence of 4th floor in most of the South Korean buildings.
Therefore, I would like to conclude my post about the few aspects in Korean culture which I think is interesting. Thank you for reading! :)
감사합니다!
gamsahabnida
(thank you in korean)
Written by,
Cheryl Chin Huey Wynn
FIA July 13’ Intake – Group 6
No comments:
Post a Comment