[Korean Culture & Language] 외모지상주의 and diet in Korea


Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!

https://www.pinterest.co.kr/mnp010/%EC%9B%83%EA%B8%B4-%EC%9C%A0%EB%A8%B8/

The meme above reads: Korea; “Wow you’ve lost a lot of weight! You look so pretty and happy!”

South Korea was ranked among the top ten countries with the highest rate of cosmetic surgery according to a survey conducted by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. As I have mentioned in my previous articles, many young Koreans are affected by 외모지상주의(lookism), which leads them to believe that physical attractiveness is necessary for success. 

According to a survey conducted by NCBI in 2018, the majority of the participants said that having plastic surgery would have a "very positive" or "positive" effect on the hiring process. All of the participants stated that appearance is a crucial aspects when looking for work, and that plastic surgery would be helpful. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6882691/

https://www.facebook.com/bestdiet777/photos/pcb.2159318074319643/2159317727653011/?type=3&theater

Having a slim figure is one of the most important aspect to fit Korean beauty standards. There’s a saying in Korea, “최고의 성형은 다이어트다,” which means “Losing weight is the best type of plastic surgery”. There is a "50 kg myth" produced by Korean mainstream media, which glorifies celebrities who weigh 40-something. K-pop idols often go through extreme diet regimes in order to achieve the under-50 ideal weight. Big Bang’s T.O.P. shared that he ate nothing but red bean jelly to lose 20 kg in 40 days, and the girl group Nine Muses went on a “paper cup diet,” which is to eat after fitting the entire daily food intake into three tiny paper cups. Most clothing in Korean stores only comes in “free size,” which is about UK 8, making it extremely hard for some people to find clothing that fits.

The table below shows the ‘ideal weight to pull off any outfit’:

옷발 잘 받는다 = able to pull off any outfit

This standard seems ridiculous, but many Koreans work hard to fit in. 

The meme below reads: If you swim without losing weight, you are a pig on water; If you run without losing weight, you are a fast pig; if you work out without losing weight, you become a healthy pig.

https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/773141461012660303/

Not many people are even offended by this sign, but they empathize with it.

What do you think of beauty standards in Korea? Do you think it is reasonable?

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