[Korean Culture & Language] To Look Cute

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If you have ever seen someone wearing a hair roller in public, you might have wondered why. Applying makeup or wearing hair rollers in public is more acceptable in Korea than in many other Western cultures. 

Even though wearing hair rollers in public is more common in Korea than in other countries, it was not formerly acceptable in Korea either. As a result, many Koreans, especially older generations or men, don’t fully understand them either.

In the video below, a girl explained why people wear hair rollers, and someone asked “여자들 앞머리 하는 거 귀여운 척 하려고 그러는 건가요? (Do girls wear them in public to look cute?)”:

One of the most popular comments reads “아니 헤어 롤을 귀여워 보이려고 하고 있냐는 말이 제일 웃김 ㅋㅋㅋ 그런 발상은 어떻게 나오는 거임…? (It’s so funny that someone asked if girls wear hair rollers in public to look cute. What in the world would lead them to think that…?)”

The most liked comment explains clearly about why people wear them in public. “헤어 롤 하고 돌아다니는 건, 학교 같은 경우에는 귀찮거나 앞머리 찌를 까봐 그러는 경우가 많고, 대중교통이나 길거리에서 하는 건 집에서 아무리 열심히 앞머리 말아도 밖에 나오면 습기나 바람때문에 바로 축 쳐져 버리니까 말고 있다가 약속 직전에 빼는 거… (Girls wear hair rollers in school to avoid their bangs poking them in the eyes. One of the reasons why people use them in public transportation or on the street is because humidity may quickly dampen and straighten bangs, so they want to remove the rollers immediately before meeting the person(or people) they planned to meet. 


What do you think of wearing hair rollers in public? 

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