Blog Post 1 - Overview and goals

I've always been interested in Korean beauty standards and why they're so different from Western ones. I mean, I know it has a lot to do with the culture and such, but what exactly is it? Especially since they draw so much from Western influences, you would think it would be more similar than different, yet just by comparing the two, you can see huge leaps in differences. I was reading up on some articles about the current beauty standards in Korea just recently, and there's already a lot that comes up, both new and old knowledge I'm learning about.

Being Korean myself, as well as being immersed in the culture as best as possible (Despite living halfway across the globe from Korea), I already knew what the basis for Korean beauty was. Fair, white skin, big, doll-like eyes, with the eyelid crease that most Westerners have (yet Koreans lack), and straight eyebrows. The goal for Korean women is to look young and innocent; using makeup to look like you're not wearing any makeup. The natural, glowy and dewy fresh look. A prime example would be IU, or Lee Jieun, a famous Korean singer, shown below.

As for the men I already knew this information, but the beauty standards are vastly different from here. Korea values pretty boys, or as they're known as in Korean, flower boys. Men with pretty faces, leaning almost to the more feminine side, with a manly body. It's pretty much the same for both men and women - fair, flawless skin, big eyes, small lips, and that look of innocence. 

Above are two examples I could think of off the top of my head of ideal beauty for men in Korea. They are Yoon Jeonghan and Moon Junhui, both are members from the K-pop boy group SEVENTEEN. Both have relatively fair complexions, big, double lidded eyes, and pretty faces, whilst still being tall.

Of course, Koreans also value being slim, as well as having more 3D faces. This results in something not many know, but the fact that South Korea has become a plastic surgery hub in Asia. Rhinoplasty, double eyelid procedures, jawline shavings, and forehead/chin implants are all very common in the attempt to achieve the ideal standards of beauty.

I think I have a pretty good grasp on the standards of beauty in Korea at the moment, but what I want to achieve going forwards is what these standards of beauty are influenced by; specifically what in the culture. Also, I want to see what the standards of beauty were in the past, going back to the Joseon era (which is what would be considered 'ancient' Korea) and even the early 1900's as well, and see what influenced these standards then. All in all, I think I have a good starting point for my research, since I already have a lot of background knowledge about my topic.

Citations

Commentary. “Why It Was So Easy For Korea To Take Over Japan In The Pop Culture Wars.” Quartz. Accessed October 19, 2018. https://qz.com/21468/why-it-was-so-easy-for-korea-to-take-over-japan-in-the-pop-culture-wars/

Kim, Ariana. “Why You Probably Aren’t ‘Attractive’ In South Korea.” The Odyssey. Accessed October 19, 2018.

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/you-probably-arent-attractive-in-south-korea

Tai, Crystal. “K-beauty: the ugly face of South Korea’s obsession with women looking forever flawless.” South China Morning Post. Accessed October 19, 2018.

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/2125286/k-beauty-ugly-face-south-koreas-obsession-women-looking

Tai, Crystal. “South Korean men having plastic surgery to get ‘pretty boy’ looks and macho physiques of their K-pop and K-drama idols.” South China Morning Post. Accessed October 19, 2018.

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-luxury/article/2103854/cutting-edge-beauty-male-plastic-surgery-south-korea