#korean beauty standard

[koreaguides]

Beauty Standards Broken by K-Pop Idols

1. Small Eyes 

BTS’ Jimin is known for having small eyes. He’s shown fans that he’s not handsome despite them, but rather because of them. Another idol known for this is TWICE’s Dahyun. She has a pair of alluring small eyes which are always as beautiful and shining during performances. It’s a fresh take from the old beauty norms in Korea that big eyes = beauty. 

2. Tanned Skin 

TWICE’s Jihyo is known to have darker skin tone which made fans questioning about the beauty standard of having light skin. Jihyo has proved to fans that tanned skin is gorgeous as she always glows on stage whenever she has a tan. She has also spoken during interviews that she is confident about her skin tone.

3. Curvy Bodies 

Hwasa of Mamamoo is powerhouse on stage with her beautiful curvy body. Her gorgeous curves and her confidence in her own body is epitome of “you do you.” She may not have the ideal slim body, pale flawless skin, or big eyes, but it is her unique look that makes her even more attractive. 

4. Short Height 

A few idols such as Woozi of Seventeen and Jinhwan of iKON who stand at the height of 164 cm has showed to fans that they can also perform as well as other members. Instead, they are more noticeable among the group because of their height which has made them receive more love from fans too. 

5. Mixed Race 

People with mixed race in Korea might before bullying targets in Korea as they don’t fit in sometimes. Biracial idols such as HeuningKai of TXT and Somi have captivated the hearts of many fans. They might not be the same as Korean idols but that can be their charm too. 

#bts jimin #jimin bts #jeon somi #somi #hwasa mamamoo #mamamoo hwasa #twice jihyo #jihyo twice #woozi seventeen #seventeen woozi #hwasa #jihyo #woozi #korean beauty standard #korean guide #korean headers #Korean lifestyle #korean edits #korean idols #korean culture #korean celebrity #korean celebrities #korean vlog #korean blog #korean beauty #korean moodboard #korean layouts #korea guide #korea headers #korea layouts

[not-your-asian-fantasy]

P.S Kaguya

It took six years of struggle in an industry that favors thin and Eurocentric for Kaguya to make it to New York Fashion Week. As a second-generation Korean American, she encountered constant resistance to her weight and stigmas about her identity. She quickly discovered, she says, that the same stereotypes associated with Asian women were reinforced for Asian models: to be petite and obedient.

#ps kaguya #p.s. kaguya #korean women #korean american #asian american #plus size #Asian model #fat positive #body positive #modeling #fashion #fatshion #beauty standards #fatphobia #curvy #curve model

[manishaaaaa]

a few days ago I saw a video of this girl talking to a half Korean guy on omegle and he was criticizing Koreans for being racist and the girl replies with "no that's not the case Korea is a good country" miss ma'am have you visited that country? do you know what it feels like to live there? No? But you have watched some shows and you like bts so you have made this fairytale image of that country and you refuse to believe the reality.

South Koreans are racist. The beauty standards are harmful for the whole society and the fans need to grow up and understand that. Most of you don't even like the music you just love the visuals they are selling you! YOU ALL ARE WALKING A VERY THIN LINE BETWEEN APPRECIATING AND FETISHIZING and don't even give me that "they'll grow up and learn, let people enjoy whatever they like, they are teenagers" no I won't let it be. I got to know about bts when I was 13 (I am almost 20 now) through a friend, it was before bts was so popular and even then I knew how toxic the beauty standards were in South Korea, I knew the idols weren't the reality, so should all of you.

"It's just music it's harmless" no it's not just music and the music isn't even the problem it's the artificial natural beauty they are selling, my 11 yr old cousin came up to me and said "look didi Lisa is so pretty and it's all natural why don't I have skin like her?" and I had to tell her and explain with proof how much work most of these idols have got done. they are not even treated as artists or even humans, THEY ARE TREATED AS PRODUCTS with shelf life - not allowed to eat, not allowed to date or say anything that might make them look less than perfect

Most of the k-pop idols are starving themselves, so many of them pass out at the end of the shows and still I see videos on YouTube like "trying the k-pop idol diet" "k-pop idol workout" "how to get korean glass skin" Like!?!? How stupid are these people? Do they not know the impact it can have on impressionable kids?

#i said what i said #beauty standards #korean #korean beauty standards #bts army #blackpink #korean pop #racisim #rant #fuck beauty standards

[eddis-not-eeddis]

.

#just saw another video of a korean woman who got her eyes “fixed” because she had an “ugly” face #and i just want to rip and tear and bite everyone in the plastic surgery business over there because NOOOOOOOOO #noooooooo #she was so beautiful #her eyes were gorgeous #she didn't need to “fix” anything to look pretty #she was already such a beautiful woman #my heart actually hurts every time a korean woman tells me she's not pretty yet because she still hasn't fixed her eyes or her nose #i'm literally sitting here gnashing my teeth #korean faces are so beautiful #korean woman are lovely to the point that i am actually probably sinfully covetous of their natural eyes and noses #why do we live in a world where beautiful people mutilate themselves to match such a completely arbitrary standard #if you think plastic surgery culture is bad in the u.s....it is #but this entire problem is on STEROIDS in south korea

[absolutebl]

And there it is again: In the first episode of Love in the Air, our young hero's buddy compliments him by saying he's handsome, that he "looks like Korean actor."

I've caught just enough of these references in my first year of BL viewing to realize that it's "a thing": Korea is the gold standard of ... something ... to other SE Asians ? Do I have that right ? If so, the ideal of what, exactly ?

Astro’s Eunwoo is generally considered/discussed as the perfect example of Korean masculine beauty. 

10 Korean Male Beauty Ideals

The checklist of Korean masculine beauty standards (as of 2022) is as follows: 

over 183cm (6″+) 

slim/skinny build but toned body (we talking swimmer over bodybuilder) 

a “small face” 

pale skin 

dark defined eyebrows

a smaller mouth

high cheekbones

v shaped or sharp jaw line 

double eyelids & bigger eyes 

high nose bridge 

Plastic surgery is often utilized to attain the final three in particular.* 

Add to the above the global procreative breeding standards for “healthy” masculinity such as: symmetry in face and form, broad shoulders, clear skin. 

SF9′s Rowoon is a great example of an idol successfully transitioning to leading man. He meets all 10 standards and is v tall at 190.5 or about 6″3. 

A Bit About Idols & Beauty Standards 

The visual of the idol group is (usually) the one who meets the most of the above checklist + photographs particularly well. As opposed to the center who is usually the best allrounder and/or most charismatic performer. Ironically the face of a group is usually the best representative in terms of communication and popularity style (handling fans + the press). But idols can/do hold more than one position in a group. 

Position distinctions are becoming less popular in 4th gen Kpop groups. While position assignments, including those based explicitly on Korean beauty standards, were pretty much expected of 3rd gen group formation. 

Idols “visual” judgement tends to be decided upon and called via the same standards as above checklist, but they are permitted to be more androgynous by branding than if they were leading man Kdrama actors.

That said, idols tend to transition to acting if they can meet more of the above named standards (and want to act, of course), specifically height. They will probably never get to play leading men if they don’t meet the height standard so that’s usually the biggest hurdle (pun intended) - except for if they do BL. Of course, there are exceptions if the idol is an extremely good actor or very very famous. My bias, Jinyoung, is short to be an actor, for example. He still gets rolls but it will always be harder for him to play a grown up leading man in a romance Kdrama than someone like Rowoon or Eunwoo.  

GOT7′s Jinyoung in Devil Judge 

How Does this Work Outside of Korea? 

Hallyu has had a profound effect on taste not just in other parts of Asia, but globally. But you asked about Asia.

Here’s a very good YT vid on the subject which basically is focused on women and China, but still addresses why Asian Beauty standards are the way they are culturally & historically. 

So when an Asian country (particularly in the south) calls a character “handsome like a Korean actor” that is code for particularly distinguishing the character as handsome by virtue of his “non local” features: like paleness and tallness. (Thailand also does this with reference to western beauty standards. Both Dean in UWMA and Tharn in TharnType are commented on/called out for/self identify as being handsome due in part to their “foreign” features, but the Thai word used is slang for a “foreigner of European decent.”) 

TharnType 2

Because of the popularity of both Kdramas and Kpop, Korean beauty standards are coming to dominate taste at least amongst specific age brackets of consumers/watchers and in countries where Kdramas and Kpop are particularly popular. In these case, the 10 point check list above comes into play when you get a comment like the ones we see in Thai BL. 

That said, Chinese beauty standards (somewhat different) are also in play in the culture itself (for primarily socio-political and historical reasons, so more prevalent amongst older generations, and places that were occupied by China or have intimate social-political relations with it, like Taiwan), as well as western standards (blame colonialism, Hollywood, and the fashion industry). Taiwan is an interesting case since it has intimate ties on all levels with China, Japan, S Korean, and the west, so their beauty standards are particularly varied. 

Japanese beauty standards (which used to dominate many parts of Asian because they cornered the market on music initially *waves at 90s Jpop* as well as manga, animation, cinema, and porn prior to Hallyu not to mention the whole, ya know, empire thing) have experienced significant pushback in the last 20 years, particularly from Korea. That said, their standards still hold pretty strongly within Japan (of course). They are a lot less formal and proscriptive. But, loosely, Japan tends to like a softer face shape, heavier jaw, and wider mouth and be less concerned about extreme tallness. They do love big eyes though. NCT’s Yuta is a pretty good example of one type of Japanese masculine beauty standard. But Japan has more than one. Remember the culture concept of kawaii is in play. Aka men are also allowed to be cute as a form of sexiness. 

Old Fashion Cupcake 

* Yes, I am well aware this is a terrible unachievable bullshit. I am answering the question not making a judgement call. 

Finally: 

Like most beauty standards, these are the result of classism, racism, and colonial occupational history. Not to mention trends, styles, permissive fetishization, gender binary, infantilization, and core linguistic symbolism and syntax around the meaning of worlds used to define and talk about beauty. 

I’m discussing this shizz from a cultural anth and pop culture analysts perspective. Don’t come at me in the comments because you possess the sadly ubiquitous inability to critically think about your own cultural biases and how these might impact your consumption of a different culture’s pop product. My patience is wearing thin and my ban hammer is immediate these days. 

(source) 

#asked and answered #korean beauty standards #anthropological perspective #here i go opening up another can of worms #thai bl #korean bl #korean actors #male beauty standards #kpop visual #Eunwoo #Astro #SF9 #Rowoon #pop culture analysis #cultural anthropology #japanese bl #japanese beauty standards #jpop #NCT #Yuta #Hallyu #kpop #kdramas #Korean idols #tharntype #Until We Meet Again #Jinyoung #GOT7 #devil judge #Old Fashion Cupcake

[ramyeonpng]

In a sense, it’s not my place to judge a Korean drama and how they depict their own culture in a Korean drama, as in this example. In another sense, those fashion, makeup and plastic surgery trends influence trends across Asia and have formed the narrative of what "beauty" looks like. And those trends are typically to evoke a more Eurocentric look, with higher nose bridges and larger eyes.

#TKEM

#the king: eternal monarch #kdrama #korean dram #korean drama #eurocentric beauty standards #lucy dot txt

[everythingkimhongjoong]

Koreans have a narrow view of what is attractive and if you don't meet it, then you aren't attractive. That is what's really sad. All of these guys are attractive and yet they say they aren't good looking because they don't meet the Korean beauty standard.

That is why Bobby is always calling himself ugly, even though he truly isn't. He is extremely attractive and his overall vibe is to die for.

Korean beauty standards are extremely unrealistic and only a small percentage of their population fits it. The other percentage of people go out and get plastic surgery.

#south korea #korean men #beauty standards

[saturncodedstarlette]

Hi besti :3 how are you ? I hope you are well you are having a great day

I hope you don't mind but I had an idea for a Horangi scenario, starts in angst that ends with something cute.

I don't know if they are any good but I'll share it with you anyway. (⁠;⁠;⁠;⁠・⁠_⁠・⁠)

In Korea they take very seriously what is the external appreciation in an unhealthy way so my idea was that YN at the beginning was looking for a bit of how is the Korean culture more than anything to be able to ask out Horangi and avoid some culture shock, the thing is that when YN discovers all this obsession that Koreans have for the physical appearance and that in Korean standards YN is unattractive which discourages them a lot, When Horangi realizes that he starts to avoid him one day he decides to confront him and ask him why he avoids him, to which YN responds with what he feels, at the end Horangi tells him that it is true that Koreans have very high standards of beauty but for YN he thinks it is very nice, he wants to have a date with them.

I hope you are having a great day and if you are having a bad time I hope tomorrow will be better. (⁠つ⁠✧⁠ω⁠✧⁠)⁠つ

Hello bestie 👋✨

I hope you’re having a good day/night ✨

Mine is well…average but good! ✨ thanks for asking🌸

Bestie your idea is amazing! Don’t feel discouraged from your mind bc I meant it✨💛

I’ll try to find a format similar and tweaks it a little bit to fits the scenario 👏✨

I hope you don’t mind waiting bc I don’t do well with pressure 😅 i apologize💛

I understand the beauty standards part tho 😔 it’s sad that we have to live up to these expectations everyday 🙃

I used to compare myself with them before but I realised that sometimes I don’t need to try so hard to meet that ✨expectations✨

I slowly learnt to be comfortable with who I am, with what I’ve given, and improve my life for my own future, not dependent by someone else’s choices or expectations 👏

It’s not easy for everyone, but I will keep pushing, and I hope everyone will find a reason to fight on as well! 👏🌻💛✨☀️

#📮 | You got mail‼️ #tw beauty expectations #tw beauty standards #tw toxic beauty standards #tw toxic Korean’s beauty standards #Everyone should get used to their own skin #It’s not easy but it’s not impossible

[bewby]

oomf stated #facts i have to share this here too

#also is it just me but i hate when non korean people are like These Fucking Knetz... like wtf don't you feel weird .. #like sure talk about the extreme beauty standards in korea and bring it up and criticize it but don't act like it's not this extreme #outside of korea too just in different ways. twt is pissing me off there are so many people like this on there

[coochiequeens]

Feminists in South Korea are planning to conduct nationwide protests against gender-based violence this weekend, the first to occur simultaneously in several major cities since the pandemic.

It's a response to an anti-feminist wave that has swept across South Korea, creating a tense gender war where discourse around women's rights is taboo and men claim they are now the victims of gender discrimination.

The pandemic had put a stop to most public gatherings, but with the loosening of restrictions this year, feminists are returning to the streets in larger numbers.

In October, thousands of people from across the country flocked to Seoul to protest President Yoon Suk Yeol's plans to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Civic, labor and social groups, including Korean Women's Associations United, joined forces to call on the government to advance women's rights.

The feminist organization Haeil (Korean for "tsunami") is leading the protestsin the cities of Seoul, Gwangju and Busan on Sunday.

An administration fueling anti-feminist sentiment

South Korea's feminist movement made strides in the last five years, creating one of the most successful #MeToo movements in Asia. The movement took down major public figures accused of sexual misconduct, including the mayor of Busan, South Korea's second-largest city.

But now some men think things have gone too far.

Yoon won the presidency earlier this year on a platform accusing feminists of misandry and appealing to young men who feel like they must bear the brunt of Korea's growing economic insecurity and shrinking job market. Policies meant to increase economic opportunity for women and close the gender pay gap have fueled young men's resentment toward women.

Anti-feminists have taken to social media and online communities to spread their belief that Korean feminists are radical man-haters. One YouTube channel with more than 500,000 subscribers uploads videos that target feminists as "mentally ill" radicals who promote female chauvinism.

Yoon has continued to push his anti-feminist agenda in recent months, insisting he will follow through with his campaign plans to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The ministry was established in 2001 to provide resources for girls suffering from sexual and domestic violence and to ensure polices do not discriminate based on gender.

Yoon blamed the ministry's officials for treating men like "potential sex criminals" and escalating gender inequality.

"Abolishing the gender ministry is about strengthening the protection of women, families, children and the socially weak," he told reporters in October.

For the past couple decades, South Korea has continued to boast the largest gender pay gap among the countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). As of 2021, the gender pay gap in South Korea was 31% — more than double the OECD average of about 12%. For comparison, the wage gap is 16.9% in the United States.

South Korean women largely must choose between career and family, with The Economist's glass-ceiling index ranking it the worst country in the OECD for working women in 2022. Strict maternity leave policies at workplaces are one of the reasons for South Korea's alarmingly low fertility rate at 0.8 children per woman — the lowest in the world, according to The World Bank.

Apart from discrimination in the workplace, women are held to a beauty standard many believe to be unfair and inappropriate. There's a stigma against women who do not wear makeup or who have short hair, said Yusu Li, a member of the feminist group Haeil.

Danbi Hwang, another member of Haeil, said if women do not wear makeup to work, coworkers ask, "Do you feel OK? Is something wrong?"

"They respond by directly attacking women's appearance," she said.

The "escape the corset" movement took South Korea by storm in 2019, a rejection of the country's standards of beauty and social pressure to conform.

But these societal expectations toward women still exist. In one notable case, at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, South Korean archer An San — who won three gold medals at Tokyo — became the target of online abuse from anti-feminists who claimed her hairstyle indicated she was a radical feminist.

When even one's hairstyle can become a reason for verbal abuse and accusations of man-hating, many young women in South Korea are fearful of speaking up about women's rights.

Ellen Kwon, 25, said many young Korean men look down on women for being passionate about gender equality.

Kwon, who has spent half her life in Korea and half in the U.S., said she would not openly talk about gender issues around her Korean friends.

"I know how guys will react," she said. "I know they're going to be like, 'This is another girl talking about gender issues again.'"

"Femi," short for feminist, has become a derogatory label for any person who speaks up about gender discrimination and women's empowerment in South Korea. Hwang, of Haeil, said asking someone if they are a "femi" in Korea is the same thing as asking if they have a mental illness.

"This type of rhetoric is censoring women's voices, especially when they try to support gender issues," said Jinsook Kim, a professor at Emory University who studies online misogyny and feminism. "A lot of women cannot talk about gender issues in public spaces, and they don't even talk to their close friends, because they don't know what their friends think about it."

For this reason, many feminists work online, anonymously. Many of those who don't receive death threats on a regular basis, leading some to leave the country.

With a lack of public figures openly advocating for women's rights, young Korean girls are struggling to find their role models, Kim said. 

In the corporate world, women only hold about 21% of managerial positionsand only 5% of executive positions in South Korean companies. Politics reflects a similar makeup. In the legislature, only 19% of seats are held by women. And, according to Kim, there are very few feminist professors teaching at Korean universities.

"It's hard to say there is hope when you look at the overall situation," said Li, of Haeil. "But what makes me hopeful are my fellow feminists, friends, seeing women like me who have short hair with no makeup, and women's rights protests that show we are not alone."

#South Korea #backlash #women’s rights #strict beauty standards #MeToo #Haeil #Ministry of Gender Equality and Family #Korean Women's Associations United #Protecting women and girls from sex based violence means treating men like sex criminals according to anti-feminists #Wage gap #Low fertility rate #Escape the corset #Online abuse of women #Fami

[saiskulls-110]

webtoon is so over-flooded with pretty yaoi boys and heterosexuality. what hero will change this.

#the only promoted one i know with body diversity is called the strongest florist and thats because the mc is mad buff #LIKE PLEASE!!!! GIMME BIG MEN!!! FAT WOMEN!!! ETC ETC #there's plenty of queer diversity tbh like it's great on that part #but #MANNN these korean beauty-standard body types have got to go #or at least share equal ground with varying other bodies #sigh #webtoon

[koreaguides]

6 K-Pop Idols Who Break Korea’s Beauty Standards

1. Jessi 

Jessi would be the last person to play by anyone’s rules. Jessi is bold and beautiful and people love her for that. With her tanned skin and voluptuous body, she adheres to no Korean beauty standards and is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. She has even spoken vocally about her cosmetics surgeries and is loved by fans for being raw and unapologetic in her approach to life be it on or off camera. 

2. Stray Kids Changbin 

Nothing wrong with Chang Bin’s visuals but sometimes it’s not acceptable to the current beauty norms of K-pop. His sharp chin gives him a killer jawline but the people still say it’s too pointed. Even his short height makes him not fit into the ideal Korean beauty standards but nevertheless, he is still one of the best rapper of this generation. 

3. Mamamoo Hwasa 

Hwasa is a powerhouse on stage with her beautiful curvy body. It is no surprise that she is on the list due to the backlash she receives for her bold outfit choices. She may not have the ideal slim body, pale flawless skin, or big eyes, but it is her unique look that makes her even more attractive. 

4. Seventeen Woozi 

Woozi doesn’t fit into the Korean beauty standards with his 164 cm of height. His noble size difference when compared to his other members is actually quite cute and endearing, plus he is extremely talented and an excellence performer. You clearly don’t need to be towering over other idols to prove your talent.

5. Twice Jihyo 

Jihyo wasn’t spared. Due to having a slightly large frame than her members, she was called fat even though she was far from that and her tanned skin was not appreciated too. But now this girl is going against all odds and embracing her body and giving us god-tier visuals in every comeback. 

6. BTS Jimin 

Jimin is known for having small eyes. He’s shown fans that he’s not handsome despite them, but rather because of them. While having big eyes and double eyelids is the standard in Korea, Jimin is one of the few idols who have small, monolid eyes. 

#Jessi #stray kids changbin #changbin #mamamoo hwasa #hwasa #seventeen woozi #woozi #twice jihyo #jihyo #bts jimin #jimin #korean beauty standard #korea beauty standard #korea guide #korea headers #korea lifestyle #Korea Republic #korea resources #korea facts #korea icons #korea culture #korea beauty culture #korea vlog #korea beauty #korea blog #korea #korean guide #korean facts #korean headers #korean kpop

[cicadangel]

asian americans tend to look different than asian asians but the difference is sooooo noticeable with koreans it's genuinely wild

#like comparing the features of my father (american) w my cousin (korean korean) u can see #similarities but my father just looks. so different and same with all of my #american born relatives #i want to study this. i wonder if beauty standards is the biggest cause??

[linoguy]

i hate how hellbent kpop staff is on covering up a member who has any sign of fat on them. Show me their stomach, their arms, their thighs.. it won’t kill anyone I swear

#the fat phobia/insane standards within Korean beauty and specifically kpop makes me so mad for everyone in the system #and i say this knowing 100% that a lot of cultures have this standard. you can critique an aspect of one culture and be able to assume I’m #not critiquing korea specifically but fat phobia and beauty standards in general

[moontheoretist]

This site is really useful. It has the proper definitions of all the terms that fandom often miss-define out of lack of knowledge and lack of will to research or queerphobia. It’s good to have a resource like this. I was tired of having to explain all those terms to people who couldn’t even fucking bother to sit and research before spewing bullshit.

#fujoshi #media studies #japanese media #chinese media #korean media #asian media #asian beauty standards #queer media studies #asian culture

[acinomthecat]

Everytime I see Cookie Run fans argue that it’s okay to whitewash cookies because they’re Korean, I just look at myself and my dad and say to myself:

“Guess we’re not Korean…”

#tw whitewashing #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #cookie run fandom #cookie run discourse #korean #tw colorism #like I’ve seen Vampire cookie be whitewashed the most and my skintone is pretty similar and i still get comments that im not enough #and my dad is the darkest of my family and he wishes that he was paler to fit beauty standards #colorism in korea is real stop pretending it doesn’t exist #colorism in asia is way too normalized