Korean beauty standards

A study from 2008 determined that 20 percent of young Korean girls have undergone cosmetic surgery. This is significantly above the average rate in other countries.[3] A more recent survey from Gallup Korea in 2015 determined that approximately one third of South Korean women between 19 and 29 have claimed to have had plastic surgery.[4] A study from 2009 found that Korean women are very critical of their body image and are more prone to lower self-esteem and self-satisfaction compared to women from the United States.[5]

The pressure to uphold a standard of beauty is even felt within the job market. Companies require a photo, height, and sometimes the family background of applicants as a part of the hiring process.[6] Beauty is often seen as a means for socioeconomic success in the rapidly modernized post-war economy of South Korea, which has seen a sluggish job growth rate after its economic boom. This has left Korea with a highly skilled and educated workforce competing for a short supply of job opportunities and chances for upward social mobility. Some Koreans view investments in beauty, such as cosmetic products and medical beauty treatments, such as plastic surgery, dermatology, and cosmetic dentistry, as a means of cultural capital to get an edge over peers for social and economic advancement.[7]

In 2015 South Korea exported more than $2.64 billion of cosmetic goods[8] compared to around $1.91 billion in 2014.[9] Some of the most popular products used in Korean beauty are blemish balm (BB) creams, color correction (CC) creams, serums, essences, ampoules, seaweed face masks, and scrubs.[10] Korean beauty products contain ingredients not commonly found in Western products such as snail extract. In 2011, BB cream, which was previously only found in Korea, hit the shelves in America, and by 2014, the US market for BB cream was around $164 million.

Plastic surgery in South Korea is socially accepted. Double-eyelid surgery (also known as blepharoplasty) creates an eyelid crease that makes the eye look bigger and is the most common cosmetic procedure performed in South Korea. Due to the differences in the facial bone structure of Asians, who have a flatter facial bone structure than their Western counterparts, facial bone contouring surgeries are quite popular.[11] V-line surgery (jaw and chin reduction) and cheekbone (zygoma) reduction surgeries are used to change the facial contour. Many celebrities are required to undergo these surgeries to trim their cheekbones, jaw, and chin to create an oval shaped face.

South Korea has also seen an increase in medical tourism from people who seek surgeon expertise in facial bone contouring. Korean surgeons have advanced facial bone contouring with procedures like the osteotomy technique[12][13] and have published the first book on facial bone contouring surgeries.[14] There was a 17 percent increase in the sales of cosmetic surgery from 1999 to 2000, reaching almost ₩170 billion (Korean won) (US$144 million).[15] Therefore, the makeup they use is expensive.

After the #MeToo movement, when women shared their sexual assault and harassment stories, Korean women started to question their beauty standards and created the free the corset movement. Its name comes from the idea that societal oppression of women is like being bound in a corset. Korean women have taken to social media in a backlash against unrealistic beauty standards that requires them to spend hours applying makeup and performing extensive skincare regimes, which often involve ten steps or more.[16] Some Korean women have destroyed their makeup, cut their hair, and rejected the pressures of getting surgery.[16][17] The purpose of the movement is to create space for Korean women to feel comfortable with themselves and not have social pressures limit their identity.[18] Critics of the movement think that women can make their own choices to wear makeup or not.[19]

Korean think that beauty is represented by pale skin, a small face, and a slim figure. In China, beauty trends are similar, the skin should "not only be pale, but as white as possible", the face should be small and "shaped like an upside down goose egg", and the body should be slim and "hopefully tall with long legs, small feet and a Pippa Middleton style bottom."[20]

Contemporary Korean beauty standards of eye makeup have shifted from traditional sexy cat eye to a cuter and more innocent puppy eye. According to Allure, "people think it makes your eyes look brighter and more youthful."[21] Likewise, big and cute eyes are popular among Chinese beauty trends. However, since "50 percent of Chinese girls have single eyelids, which they consider unattractive,"[22] Chinese girls often have eye surgery or use makeup techniques to make their eyes look as large as possible. For eye makeup, Chinese women tend to use darker eyeliners, such as black or dark brown, to exaggerate their eyes, whereas Korean girls tend to pursue a more natural eye makeup by using lighter color eyeliners. Chinese beauty trends also use puppy eyes known as the Wo Can (meaning lying silkworm).[23] It is a 4 to 7-millimeter puff that lies under the eyelashes that look like a silkworm, which is meant to make the girls look cute and sweet when they smile. According to the Chinese traditional face reading, people with Wo Chan are born to have good lives with fortune for their relationships and businesses.

Having a slim figure is one of the most important aspects in both Korean and Chinese beauty standards. However, the ways individuals from these two countries keep fit differ. The famous Korean singer IU is well known for her diet plan, where she has "one apple for breakfast, one sweet potato for lunch, and a cup of protein for dinner."[24] Even though she is already known to the public as slim and tiny (only 162 centimeters tall and weighing around 45 kilograms), before important events she drinks 3 liters of waters for 5 days straight to make her face look small on the 7th day.[25] "And on the seventh day, you are basically a skeleton," she emphasized, adding that "this way, you can go from thin to skeleton-skinny."[25] To look skinny on TV, Korean idols try all kinds of diets to keep their faces small and legs slim, which has influenced many young Korean girls to try and replicate them.

On the other hand, Chinese actress Zheng Shuang is known for her incredibly thin body, being 168 centimeters tall but only weighing around 37 kilograms.[26] According to Chinese beauty standards, women should be as skinny as possible such that people can see their bones. However, instead of eating less, most of the Chinese actresses choose not to eat at all, or only eat 7 grains of rice per day to lose weight. A notable trend was called the A4 waist challenge, or the anti waist challenge, which the women hold up sheets of paper and take selfies. They "win" if the paper entirely obscures their waist, and the standard paper size is only 21 centimetres (8.3 in) across."[27]

While expectations of female beauty usually outweigh male expectations, South Korea is notable for the standards placed on men. Many of male standards are similar to that of female beauty–the body is slim and the skin is clear. Idols and celebrities especially are expected to not be too traditionally masculine and often adopt androgynous traits, such as a lack of facial hair and use of makeup.[28] In 2012, 20% of male beauty products were bought by South Koreans.[29]