Monday 23 March 2015

Introduction-- The Korean Beauty Factory

South Korea has been rising in popularity ever since the late 1990s. More recently, this surge in popularity creation a whole new generation of pop culture in Asia and beyond, sweeping off the neighbor community’s JPop; and redefining everything from food to music to fashion. This phenomenon is none other than the Korean Wave (韩流/한류/Hallyu). 
This report will focus on world’s adoption of the South Korean portrayal of beauty and its desirable traits, through the 6 main points of discussion as below:

  1. Plastic Surgery
  2. Ulzzang
  3. Make-up/ Cosmetics
    • Contact Lens
  4. Aegyo/ Dollification
  5. Gender Inversion
  6. Whitewashing/ Camera Filters

Without further ado, lets find out more about this unique culture of these beautiful people!


Above: 2NE1 Group members CL, Bom, Dara and Minzy talk to Forbes about KPop (Source: Youtube- Forbes)


Above: A recent survey revealed that the number of Koreans who consider themselves as fat despite their normal weight is on the rise. (Source: Youtube- ARIRANG NEWS)

Above: Screenshot of a forum whereby fans discuss the latest Korean fashion
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Part 1: Plastic Surgery

"Images on TV convince people every day that beauty in this country is being 'standardized' as it becomes increasingly difficult to tell one actress from another" says an article from The Korea Herald. Indeed, plastic surgery in South Korea is becoming such a major trend that admitting to such artificial physical enhancements is no longer a taboo topic (Willet, 2013), with popular celebrities such as Kara’s Goo Hara and After School’s Uee admitting to the act. Plastic surgery is portrayed in a glorified manner, with gigantic billboard advertisements along the busy streets, making it almost impossible not to notice. Not forgetting the sensational and highly popular 2006 Korean film 200 Pounds Beauty, which tells the success story of a previously desperate and pathetic overweight girl’s route to stardom and happiness because of the surgeries she received over the years.
 South Korea boosts one of the largest cosmetic surgery industry, with 1313 licensed plastic/cosmetic surgery clinics (Korea Herald, 2011). It has the highest proportion of its population seeking these services at around 20% (NationMaster, 2013), one in five women from ages 19-49 going under the knife (Dunne,A., 2013), and an estimated 15% of Korean men have had cosmetic surgery in 2010 (Korean Association of Plastic Surgeon, 2010).
Above: Kara's Goo Hara. (Source: au.kpopstarz.com)
Above: After School's Uee. (Source: officiallykmusic.com) 



Above: 200 Pounds Beauty (미녀는 괴로워) - Trailer (Source: Youtube) 
With media portrayal of flawless looking celebrities, teenagers and young adults are looking forward to being as pretty/ handsome as their idols; biological traits that one is unsatisfied with can now be easily fixed with money. In fact, some South Korean parents are even encouraging their child to undergo such procedures by offering it as a graduation gift; in fear that they may lose out in comparison with their counterparts once they enter society (Willet, 2013). Reasons for undergoing surgery is no longer constricted to the pure desire of wanting to look better. This luxury now ties in with issues such as job prospects and career advancement, where it has been noted in one national survey that close to half of 600 paid employees’ biggest worry at work is their physical appearance (Job Korea, 2010), while another survey of 1700 employees sees physical appearance as one of the most important factors in getting a job (Job Korea, 2011). Such attitudes have a detrimental impact on the self-confidence and mental well-being of these young people, with the notable example of singer Solbi, who underwent a series of plastic surgery because of her depression. 
Above: Singer Solbi admitted going for plastic surgery. (Source: www.kpopstarz.com)

Above: Miss Korea 2013. Contestants have been criticized for looking too alike. (Source: Reddit)

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Part 2: Ulzzang

“Ulzzang”(read as uhl-jang), is a Korean term used to describe good looking (or literally “best face”). Girls labelled with this title usually have doll-like attributes such as large doe eyes, fair skin, small lips and sharp chin. Often, these traits are made possible through extensive make-up and photo editing softwares. The Ulzzang trend first originated through online contests, whereby girls post attractive pictures of themselves on their Cyworld accounts, which led to their subsequent rise in popularity and celebrity status (Wikipedia, n.a.)   Today, Ulzzang has developed into a subculture or an icon of the latest fashion, and not merely confined to online contests (Urbandictionary, 2010). Being an ulzzang is not exclusive to girls, as evident from pages such as Ulzzang Boys on Facebook with 32k likes, and popular Singaporean male blogger Yutaki James who is known for his Ulzzang appearance.

Above: A Korean Ulzzang (Source: himeyukichan.blogspot.com)

Above: The Ulzzang trend is not only limited to girls. Ulzzang boys also proved to be largely popular among the online community. (Source: www.pinterest.com)


Above: A Chinese girl demonstrates her transformation into an Ulzzang through make-up.
(Source: januarain.wordpress.com) 

Above: Popular Singaporean blogger Yutaki James is one good example of locals adopting the Ulzzang look (Source: www.eyecandys.com) 

Above: An advertisement about an international Ulzzang contest (Source: www.sumibunny.com)

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Part 3: Make-up/ Cosmetics

Riding on the Korean wave, the South Korean make-up industry had made a mark for themselves by defining a new style of make-up, setting themselves apart from their strong Western competitors, who had long established a firm hold on the market. While primarily appealing to Asian consumers, Korean make-up trends are fast making its way into the rest of the world. This can be seen not only in how popular Asian Youtube make-up gurus such as BubzBeauty and Michelle Phan shares their Korean make-up skills and techniques; but also in the channels of popular Caucasian make-up gurus such as Lisa Eldridge and BiiBiiBeauty.   
Above: Sephora is a popular French brand of cosmetics. (Source: www.styledemocracy.com)
Above: One of the most well known Korean cosmetics brand is no doubt Etude House. 
It is interesting to note how the outlook of Korean cosmetic stores differ from that of their Western counterparts. (Source: www.ebay.com)

As noted in an article by XinMSN, Korean makeup designer Ms. Pony commented that Western make-up is “characterized by being sexy and seductive, with highlighting” which makes them look “intense and mature”, while Korean make-up is “natural, innocent, and pure” which makes them look “moist and healthy” (Ngo, 2014). 
Above: Popular Youtube makeup guru BubzBeauty shares her tips on KPop inspired makeup. (Source: Youtube- BubzBeauty)

Above: Differences between Korean and American makeup 
(Source: Youtube- So Young's Beauty Room)
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Part 3.5: Make-up/ Cosmetics-- Contact lens

Korea also pride themselves for their circle contact lens (also known as big eye contact lens or simply circle lens); which helps the iris appear much bigger in size. Such lenses help them in their pursuit of the Ulzzang look, which places a lot of emphasis on big, shimmery eyes. They are easily available in other Asian countries including Japan, Taiwan, China, and Singapore for an affordable price. Not only so, such lenses are also available in a wide variety of colours and effects, making one able to “decorate” their eyes without going under the knife. Because of this, the primary use of such contact lenses has already evolved into more of a fashion accessory or icon, rather than as a medical device to correct astigmatism.

Above: Circle contact lens first originated in Korea, but are fast becoming popular in other parts of Asia, especially Japan. (Source: cookiesbeautyblog.blogspot.com)

Above: Circle lens are available in a wide variety of attractive colours. 
(Source: geekgirlviews.wordpress.com)

Above: Screenshot of a forum discussion page Soompi whereby fans discuss their thoughts on circle lens. 

Above: Global Pop star Lady Gaga is seen wearing circle contact lens in her Bad Romance music video. Circle contact lenses are not available in Western countries due to safety concerns and have to be imported. (Source: styleite.com)

Although doctors have expressed their concerns about the potential risks and safety issues of such lenses, many continue to turn a blind eye to it for the sake of beauty. Karen Riley, spokeswomen for the Food and Drug Administration, commented that “consumers risk significant eye injuries—even blindness”; while Dr. S. Barry Eiden, Chairman of the contact lens and cornea section of the American Optometric Association, describe such lenses as “encouraging the avoidance of professional care” (Saint Louis, 2010). Other concerns is that it may rob the eye of needed oxygen, reducing the optical quality of vision ( Hiraoka T, Okamoto F, Ishii Y, Oshika T, 2009).


Above: The American Optometric Association warns of the potential risks of circle lenses. 
(Source: Youtube- AOA TV)

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Part 4: Aegyo/ Dollification

Aegyo (애교) refers to the way one display their affection and love in an exaggeratedly adorable manner, often through a babyish voice, facial expressions and hand gestures (Wikipedia, n.a.). Korean celebrities often practice this behavior to shape their image and fans likewise adore such behavior as it is seen as cute. Media portrayal of the recipients of such behavior is often (if not all) favourable.


Above: A SNSD fan posts a video on the members' Aegyo battle on a variety show. The video attracted over 1 million views online. (Source: Youtube)

Above: Sehun of EXO demostrates his Aegyo attempt. (Source: www.wattpad.com)

One of the most well-known display is that of Girl’s Generation music video Gee, whereby members dress in colourful doll-like costumes posing cute gestures directly to the camera. 

Above: Girl's Generation (i.e. SNSD) highly popular music video Gee, which has 136 million views on Youtube as of March 2015. (Source: Youtube)

These attributes are also often associated with the concept of dollification. As seen from Gee, members play as dolls/mannequins that come to life, suggesting the desirability of doll-like physical features and the passive roles played by them. This trend had become so popular over the internet that a mere Youtube or Google search of terms such as Asian dolls will easily reap more relevant results as compared to European dolls, American dolls, African dolls, etc. (Puzar, 2011). 

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Part 5: Gender Inversion

With the popularity of celebrities that appear to fit in with neither the traditional expectations of men and women, gender roles are becoming increasingly blurred. Many male celebrities don thick makeup, have long hair, and can sing high pitched songs. On the other hand, female celebrities have picked up the “rapper” image, with short stylish hairstyles, baggy pants and able to sing in a low pitch (Sc2220.wikifoundry.com, 2011).
Above: Singapore English radio station 987FM challenges the hosts to identify the genders of some famous KPop stars. (Source: Youtube- 987FM)
Popular boy groups such as 2PM often cross-dress and perform the songs and dances of popular girl groups for entertainment value, as they exercise “feminized soft masculinity” or “kawaii masculinity” (Sun, 2011). These were seen not only on popular variety shows such as Gag Concert and Idol Show, but even on KPop festivals such as the SBS Music Festival, where K-pop fans from all over the world rave about. As Sun Jung noted, such gender inversion practices were a huge trend in the KPop scene in 2009 because of the rise and success of many new KPop groups. From early boy groups such as Super Junior and TVXQ, whereby members typically emphasize on their pretty boy features, the recent trend has been groups like 2PM or B2AST, where they emphasize on their beast-like masculinity (Sun, 2011); making the appeal of KPop boy groups versatile for people of different preferences. 
Above: Fan-generated content on how his/her favourite KPop boy band cross dress. Read more here: http://sungmin-everlasting-mistress.tumblr.com/post/22827516108/super-junior-super-gorgeous 
(Source: http://sungmin-everlasting-mistress.tumblr.com/)

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Part 6: Whitewashing/ Camera Filters

Photos of KPop idols are so often overly filtered or whitewashed that these idols appear to not have any natural melanin or have poreless faces, and almost blended into the white background behind them. Yet, many fans do not seem to notice anything wrong with these photographs; some are even fooled into believing they look naturally this way. 

Above: Examples of whitewashed photographs of Korean celebrities. (Source: Seoulbeats.com) 

Above: An advertisement about the desirability of poreless Korean skin by a dermatology clinic based in Singapore. (Source: reducepores.dermasterclinic.sg)

Above: The flawless complexion of a Korean celebrity. (Source: Ulzzangstyle.com)

Entertainment companies will almost always most certainly alter the celebrities’ photographs somehow before releasing it to the public, without the original versions for fans to make comparisons (Taylore, 2015). Such a trend also highlights the issues of colorism and the stereotypical thinking that being fair is the ideal for beauty (especially for females).  

Above: Asia Pacific's top blogger Xiaxue. It is not unusual for celebrities or bloggers to filter or alter their photos excessively to get the "Korean look" (Source: Xiaxue's Twitter account)

Above: An unedited photo of local blogger Xiaxue. (Source: the-good-life.blogspot.com) 


Above: A forum discussion about the skin tones of idols and their desirability 
(Source: forums.soompi.com)

Above: Yubin from Wonder Girls is known for her natural dark skin tone. 
(Source: www.fanpop.com)

Above: As noted by a fan, BoA is nicknamed as kkhamshi (people with dark skin) because of her skin tone. (Source: forums.soompi.com) 

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References




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