Written by Lindsay Wong and edited by Jemima Yoon
South Korea is notorious for its high beauty standards, as demonstrated by the prevalence of lookism and pretty privilege in South Korean society. Its emphasis on physical appearance means that getting cosmetic surgery is the norm for teenagers, as even altering one part of the face can make a huge difference in how people are perceived. When hiring for jobs, those who are deemed to be prettier according to beauty standards are more likely to be hired. Therefore, it is no surprise that K-pop idols are put under a lot of pressure to maintain the perfect image so that they can be marketable to fans. However, as K-pop becomes more and more popular in the West, entertainment companies are letting go of such strict beauty standards because Western audiences are more open to embracing a range of diverse looks and appearances.
The heavy emphasis on physical appearance in South Korean society has influenced how people are perceived in everyday life. Generally, those who are perceived to be conventionally “pretty” or “handsome” can access better opportunities, especially in terms of employment. In many cases, physical appearance is more important than the educational background or qualifications of a potential candidate. As such, a large proportion of the population do whatever they can to enhance their physical features. In fact, as graduation presents, many parents give their children double-eyelid surgery. The neighborhood of Gangnam has at least 500 aesthetic salons alone. The seriousness of lookism has led to people going to extreme measures to alter their features.
Many K-pop idols — such as Sehun from EXO — are scouted on the streets purely based on their looks, demonstrating the importance of good looks in the K-pop industry. The role of the “visual” in every K-pop group further highlights the importance of lookism in the industry. “Visuals” are those who conform to Korean beauty standards the most, examples including Jin from BTS, Kai from EXO, and Tzuyu from Twice. Visuals are very often one of the most popular members as they attract fans’ attention from the get-go. By being good-looking, entertainment companies hope to use idols to attract fans and thus gain profits.
However, the emphasis on appearance in the K-pop industry has negative implications. For one, trainees must conform to the industry’s strict beauty standards; otherwise they risk the chances of not debuting, which would be a waste after years of training. They are subject to tiring gym routines and put themselves under physical stress to perform better. For example, to get better at dancing, many trainees tie sandbags to their waist when they practice so they appear lighter and more graceful in their dance routines. Even after trainees become idols, they must maintain a perfect image in order to appeal to fans – being thin is part of this image. Thus, idols tend to spend long hours at the gym to train their body and must undertake strict diets. One popular diet that idols follow is the paper cup diet – they eat nine paper cups worth of grains, fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Not only could this type of diet lead to even more stress and pressure on the idols and trainees, but it could also make them more prone to eating disorders such as anorexia.
Fortunately, as K-pop gains more and more popularity around the world, the industry is starting to let go of strict beauty standards. Fans have been calling out entertainment companies for not feeding some of their idols enough and supporting idols who are bullied on the internet for not conforming to conventional beauty standards, such as Chaeryeong from ITZY. Idols are also taking matters into their own hands to break the harsh beauty standards. For instance, while South Korea has always favored light skin over darker skin, idols like Kai from EXO, Jihyo from TWICE and Haechan from NCT take pride in their skin tone. Moreover, while biracial people in South Korea are often bullied because they do not fit in, biracial idols like Hueningkai from TXT and Vernon from SEVENTEEN have been open about their mixed identities. By refusing to conform to conventional beauty standards, idols help fans become more confident in their own appearance. Clearly, letting go of strict beauty standards has positive repercussions not only in the industry but also among fans.
Despite the heavy emphasis on strict beauty standards historically in place in society, more idols are breaking beauty standards in their own ways and demonstrating that all kinds of beauty should be embraced. This will positively influence their health and wellbeing, as well as inspire fans to engage more in self-love. However, K-pop still encounters xenophobia in the West even though the industry seems to be more progressive these days - there is still room for improvement.
Sources:
Cover Photo by Oğuz Şerbetci on Unsplash.
Jo, Y. (2019). The Seriousness of Lookism in South Korea: The Importance of Appearance in South Korea. Medium - Yeyun Jo. Retrieved 22 November 2020, from https://medium.com/@05hhHiFtTNAltLl/the-seriousness-of-lookism-in-south-korea-the-importance-of-appearance-in-south-korea-b84830eac039.
Moreau, B. (2020). Here Are 5 Korean Beauty Standards That K-Pop Idols Are Smashing. Koreaboo. Retrieved 22 November 2020, from https://www.koreaboo.com/lists/korean-beauty-standards-idols/.
Soheili, K. (2020). Grueling gym routines, restrictive diets, and no dating: K-pop stars tell us about the dark side of their industry. Insider. Retrieved 22 November 2020, from https://www.insider.com/kpop-dark-side-gym-diet-dating-great-guys-crayon-pop-2019-10.
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