The Impact of Physical Appearance in South Korea
Posted: January 4th, 2023
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The Impact of Physical Appearance in South Korea
When someone thinks about South Korea, some may be forgiven to think that beauty and plastic surgery are two things that have great connection. The truth is that in the in the contemporary Korean society, the standard and the importance of a person’s outward appearance creates serious concerns. Cosmetic surgery may be contradictory in some cultures such as the Western world, but not in South Korea where the practice is rampant and perceived to be part of the culture. The appearance oriented culture in South Korea encourage people to be in their best by changing how they look, which also makes them more self-confident and socially interactive.
Describing Lookism
Lookism is a concept that is practiced in other parts of the globe, but the level of lookism in Korea is on a different level, and appears to be too pervasive, which imply that the society is so much appearance-oriented. Lookism according to the description by Cavico and Mujtaba (791) refer to the constructive chauvinism, stereotypes, and preferential perception offered to people who appear physically appealing, or generally to individuals whose appearances match their cultural preferences. The term emanates from the notion that physical attractiveness and beauty is linked with good things, whereas being physically unattractive is related to negative or bad things, which may be evil. People usually make automatic judgments about others depending on their physical appearance. The idea that some researches relate beauty and physical attractiveness has certain benefits , including having many friends, leading an active sex life, and improved social interaction and skills push many people to go an extra mile to improve their physical appearance. The fact that being physical attractive does not impact on the happiness a person experiences does not deter those who seek to advance their beauty, especially if the society puts emphasis on being physically attractive.
The South Koreans highly practice plastic surgery, which may be deemed to be a subculture of Korean society because they believe the practice originated from the teachings of Confucianism. South Koreans have interpreted the teachings of Confucianism that promote loyalty, filial piety, continence, and righteousness to mean having to mean being smart to have a place in the society (Livlivdigc330). Confucianism further promotes the idea that the relationships between people are not equal, and every person plays their hierarchical roles (Cultural Atlas). The inequality as presented by Confucianism pushes many South Koreans to identify and apply ways of diminishing the disparity, which include performing the plastic surgery. Furthermore, the thought that many young people in Korea follow their opinion of their peers much more than of the older people (Cultural Atlas), make plastic surgery a common practice across the country. Today, cosmetic surgery is rampant in South Korea and is part of the culture with the industry making a sudden boom in market scale (Ja). Projections show that the demand for cosmetic surgery is likely to grow in South Korea and other parts of the globe. The demand for the operation may increase the number of service providers and soon many people in Korea and other parts of the globe will be using cosmetic surgery to change their appearance.
Factors Promoting Change of Appearance in South Korea
The women magazines and journals in Korea give enlightening insight into how the Korean women are preoccupied with their bodies. The publications offer detailed descriptions of how to improve bodily beauty, with the instructions ranging from shaving facial air to handling wrinkles (Kim 103). An analysis indicates that most of the beauty adverts in Korea embrace a Euro-American appearance, with such appearances becoming rampant in 1994 when transformations in Korean laws permitting the advert sector in Korea to utilize foreign celebrities and models to drive certain messages (Kim 103). The law gave Western celebrities such as Claudia Schiffer, Meg Ryan, and Cindy Crawford so much prominence in Korea and at the same time the use of Korean models in domestic adverts remained low. Seemingly, most of the beauty tips and articles in the women magazines operate on the supposition that the Korean body has several flaws while the body of the Whites is the ideal form and norm (Kim 103). The beauty adverts create the impression that having a thin body, long legs, small face, relatively bigger eyes, and spotless skin is the perfect blend for a woman’s body (Jo and Quora). The conception appearing in most of these publications cause a situation where many women want to become more beautiful and thinner than they are presently, and consequently, many women have entered into dieting and plastic surgeries.
The growth of technology has offered the chance to embrace more sophisticated forms of conducting plastic surgery, and the technique continues to transform so rapidly in South Korea. Seoul, for instance, has become a major center for plastic surgery globally, and according to the findings by Jo, South Korea has the biggest number of people undergoing clinical plastic surgery globally. Likewise, South Korea’s capital (Seoul) is perceived as the capital of the plastic surgery worldwide. The neighborhood of Gangnam in Seoul, for instance, has approximately 500 aesthetic facilities alone, which shows the high rate at which people seek plastic surgery services. It even appears that many Korean parents would finance the eyelid surgery of their children as gift for graduating from high school (Jo). The desire to increase one’s beauty shows how the societal pressure pushes many people to take bolder steps to improve how they appear. The descriptions also suggest that in Korea, the beautiful ones and someone appearance may be considered as being essential than a person’s ability or level of education. Jo, for example, reports of a study where Jane Jung who studies in South Korea and resides in Lynchburg who demonstrated the seriousness of lookism in South Korea by describing how a company where her cousin worked demanded that she cuts 10 pounds before starting work at the company even though she did not appear to be fat. The urge to appear physically appealing is so strong in South Korea such that whereas it is not compulsory to attach a photo in curriculum vitae (CV) while applying for a job in other countries, it is compulsory to attach one in Korea, and it must appear perfect to increase one’s chances of getting the job. Consequently, many job applicants use photoshop to adjust their photographs before submitting them.
Jane Jung’s cousin is not alone because so many women in Korea are striving to lose weight. Many women in Korea adhere to strict dieting guidelines, which shows the seriousness with which many women and the society consider lookism. The K-pop, entertainment TV and radio shows, and dramas continue to influence many people about the idealness of a thinner body, and it is apparent that such shows have unconsciously impacted the Korean culture, especially the young people (Jo). Several Korean shows such as K dramas and Kpop idols have significant impact on other cultures in the way they urge viewers to embrace the bodily appearance they see in the films and media productions. The effects of cosmetic surgery is impacting mostly other Asian nations, and soon countries such as Japan and China may witness a surge in the number of organizations performing cosmetic in the near future. The influence such Korean shows have on other cultures imply that many believe they are likely to succeed by improving their appearance, and that changing one’s appearance improves a person’s self-esteem (Jung and Lee 350). It is apparent that the South Korean trend is likely to become more applicable elsewhere in the coming years, but the outcome may not be adverse if people know the benefits as well as the limitations of undergoing the transformation. It is even expected that visitors and investors from other parts of the world may visit South Korea to learn how to conduct the surgery without exposing the person to much harm, or how to perform the operation using particular equipment. All in all, South Korea will be proud to have impacted on other cultures through its practices.
Possible Limitations of Korea’s Lookism
Changing one’s physical outlook can create a false impression to the individual and others who judge by the outward appearance. South Korean employers, for instance, require that applicants attach a photo on their resume simply because they want to select good-looking employees who give a good impression about the company and because of the high esteem the society places on a person’s appearance. Relying on a worker’s physical appearance may be misleading because Louvet (297) who describes the qualities of a competent worker asserts that it is necessary to consider applicants who have the required skills and qualifications rather than judging workers on their physical appearance. Nonetheless, regarding workers without any physical deformities as being appropriate than workers who do not look physically appealing might mislead the employer when it out that the employee lacks the necessary skills and competence. The employers ought to consider whether the applicants have the right qualifications to work, and whether they have weaknesses that could disrupt their ability to serve. The other limitation of lookism is it interferes with a person’s self confidence that they might not be attractive, which pushes them to such bodily alterations. Unfortunately, such alterations may have fatal health repercussions that may be difficult or costly to rectify. Cosmetic surgery, for example, may cause hematoma, which is characterized by appearance of what resembles a collection of blood at the spot where the surgery happens. A person may also experience blood loss, or may contract infections that are difficult to address (Hannan). The Koreans, therefore, have to consider the possible impact of their actions before choosing to undergo the practice.
Nonetheless, the idea that the Koreans are free to follow their traditions and beliefs as it happens with other cultures, and the notion that societies are increasingly becoming competitive, and only those who utilize their strengths and opportunities survive, justify the act of changing one’s appearance that is so rampant in South Korea. An article by Livlivdigc330 informs that contrary to the Western culture and ideals that a person is born embedded with certain skills and talents that determine their future successes or failures Confucianism encourages self-improvement, and encourages people to study and understand their way to prosperity rather than relying on natural talent. The author argues that with the South Korea’s society that is highly competitive, it only makes sense to advance the outer self to become better and dominate over others. However, Livlivdigc330 acknowledges that whereas bettering oneself through all means possible may be a good idea under Confucianism that may not be the case in the Western culture where cosmetic surgery can be a tumultuous process and may be perceived as unethical by others. Whereas cosmetic surgery is spreading across the globe, and several factors are entailed in the fast transforming field, the Western countries mostly undergo the process due to medical reasons because of the high cost associated with the procedure. Some Westerners consider the morality of cosmetic surgery, which has faced moral and ethical dilemmas in the recent past (Najadsarvari, Ebrahimi, Ebrahimi and Hashem-Zade 207). Some Westerners, unlike the South Koreans, feel that the practice has caused loss of human dignity and values, and replaced them with misleading perceptions, of glory and pride to a charming person of high esteem, that may trigger some of the ethical issues associated with the practice (Najadsarvari, Ebrahimi, Ebrahimi and Hashem-Zade 207). Nonetheless, despite the conflicting views regarding cosmetic surgery, it is apparent that the surgery is becoming more applicable across the globe.
Conclusion
The social pressure and the Western influence push many South Koreans, especially women to take additional measures to improve their physical appearance. The young people in South Korea highly influence each other, and the competitive nature of the society encourages many people to undergo cosmetic surgery to improve their physical appearance. Even though the transformation may send wrong signals to others, it instills confidence to individuals and improves how a person interacts with others.
Works Cited
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