Remember a few time ago when I introduced you to Semipermanent, this program exploring the culture in South Korea throughout the eyes of expats living there ? Well if not don't worry because today I am going to show you an episode that particularly caught my attention and then tell you about my experience there. From plastic surgery to traditional medecine and make up, let's discover an other side of South Korea !
This post is quite consistent as I wanted to show both the points of view in the video and my opinion, so I will advise you to read it when you really have time.
Back when I travelled to South Korea, I met Chul, my korean friend or like I often call him my travelmate. Travelling with him in his country has been a real chance because it enabled me to understand more the korean mindset about varied themes, and one subject that was recurrent during this trip was the perception of beauty, the image.
The first thing I noticed was the number of women complimenting me on my beauty and my skin (now thinking about it, between stating facts and humblebragging there's a subtle line). You can't imagine how many women stopped me in the street just to ask me which cream I used for my skin or simply telling me how much they loved my face shape. Face shape ? Yes, I really wrote that ! When in my old Europe people are used to hearing that they have beautiful eyes or a beautiful smile, I was complimented on something rather paltry. Then, when I met Chul for the second time after a few months, the first thing he told me was "oh you look skinnier than before" (again stating facts people) and this definitely convinced me that korean people are obssessed with appearance, it's the first thing they will notice on someone. Well, it's the same for us but what differs is the way they perceive it.
Going by subway, I was flabbergasted by the number of adverts inviting people to do plastic surgery. I was feeling bad each time I saw one and I guess I felt that way because in Europe, whatever people say plastic surgery is kind of taboo and not well considered. Yes, I am a product of our culture hence my repulsion to such a practice. But then there was Chul, my young korean friend who was just entering in his twenties, and was already considering plastic surgery to give a more beautiful shape to his nose. The fact he was a man telling me about it made me realize that not only women in South Korea care about their appearance, and while we were conversing about getting plastic surgery or not he didn't hide me that his father would probably be against it. Clash of generations I suppose. Coming back to Chul's nose, he wasn't finding his facial protuberance ugly, he just wanted it straighter. The discussion we had about this last detail really left me puzzled. Why want to do plastic surgery for a detail ? It wasn't something he was ashamed of, felt bad about or even having a hang-up on. He was saying me this as if he was buying clothes who would make him feel good. And seeing this video consolidated my point of view : in Korea, plastic surgery is seen as a way to feel better, to be more beautiful and if it's something that makes you feel happier there is no need to hesitate nor shame of doing it.
The subway in South Korea is an extraordinary place, it's better than any museum to visit belive me ! You have to take it if one day you happen to go to Seoul. In Europe I can care less about putting make up on my face while korean girls do care about it and are real professionals in putting it on : they succeed in using an eyelash curler, putting mascara and even mastering the art of putting perfectly eye-liner in a packed subway wagon sitting or standing. I remember forgetting getting off the station stop I was supposed to because I was ooohing and aaahing mentally while observing the skills of the girls. But my ooohing and aaahing didn't stop there. My girl friend Seok surprised me when in a restaurant she pulled out of her bag a make up case worthy of any make up artist with all the instruments one would use. With her and Chul we spoke about the amount of money korean girls and boys would spend on beauty and both were categoric : korean youth definitely spends a lot on it.
The me who was never attracted by beauty, my make up routine consisting of a black pencil and a lip balm, started to consider it differently. I went to a nail salon for the first time of my life in Dongdaemun and entered every renowned make up store to understand why korean were so enticed by their appearance. My opinion about it ? I've totally been swept away to the point that eventhough I never used them once in my lifetime I bought facial masks and...an eyelash curler ! Their packaging is so cute than rather considering what I saw make up I was seeing it as decorations for my bathroom. Korean products in terms of quality won me completely, I couldn't help but feeling refreshed. More than considering their make up and products to make me beautiful, I felt a sense of well-being but withouth the medical aspect of it. I believe that appearance in South Korea, be it for plastic surgery or make up revolves on this one concept : well-being.
Going by subway, I was flabbergasted by the number of adverts inviting people to do plastic surgery. I was feeling bad each time I saw one and I guess I felt that way because in Europe, whatever people say plastic surgery is kind of taboo and not well considered. Yes, I am a product of our culture hence my repulsion to such a practice. But then there was Chul, my young korean friend who was just entering in his twenties, and was already considering plastic surgery to give a more beautiful shape to his nose. The fact he was a man telling me about it made me realize that not only women in South Korea care about their appearance, and while we were conversing about getting plastic surgery or not he didn't hide me that his father would probably be against it. Clash of generations I suppose. Coming back to Chul's nose, he wasn't finding his facial protuberance ugly, he just wanted it straighter. The discussion we had about this last detail really left me puzzled. Why want to do plastic surgery for a detail ? It wasn't something he was ashamed of, felt bad about or even having a hang-up on. He was saying me this as if he was buying clothes who would make him feel good. And seeing this video consolidated my point of view : in Korea, plastic surgery is seen as a way to feel better, to be more beautiful and if it's something that makes you feel happier there is no need to hesitate nor shame of doing it.
The subway in South Korea is an extraordinary place, it's better than any museum to visit belive me ! You have to take it if one day you happen to go to Seoul. In Europe I can care less about putting make up on my face while korean girls do care about it and are real professionals in putting it on : they succeed in using an eyelash curler, putting mascara and even mastering the art of putting perfectly eye-liner in a packed subway wagon sitting or standing. I remember forgetting getting off the station stop I was supposed to because I was ooohing and aaahing mentally while observing the skills of the girls. But my ooohing and aaahing didn't stop there. My girl friend Seok surprised me when in a restaurant she pulled out of her bag a make up case worthy of any make up artist with all the instruments one would use. With her and Chul we spoke about the amount of money korean girls and boys would spend on beauty and both were categoric : korean youth definitely spends a lot on it.
The me who was never attracted by beauty, my make up routine consisting of a black pencil and a lip balm, started to consider it differently. I went to a nail salon for the first time of my life in Dongdaemun and entered every renowned make up store to understand why korean were so enticed by their appearance. My opinion about it ? I've totally been swept away to the point that eventhough I never used them once in my lifetime I bought facial masks and...an eyelash curler ! Their packaging is so cute than rather considering what I saw make up I was seeing it as decorations for my bathroom. Korean products in terms of quality won me completely, I couldn't help but feeling refreshed. More than considering their make up and products to make me beautiful, I felt a sense of well-being but withouth the medical aspect of it. I believe that appearance in South Korea, be it for plastic surgery or make up revolves on this one concept : well-being.
Did your thoughts on appearance and beauty changed after watching the video ? What do you think about plastic surgery ?
South Koreans are really, really obsessed with their image I suppose. A friend of mine who has lived there for quite some time also said that the regular Korean would change his/her wardrobe every year or season or so. Someone who's caught wearing last year/ last season's trend would be deemed poor or old fashioned or not up-to-date, which is a rather insane idea IMO.And yes they're definitely obsessed with the image of beauty also, as it was explained in the video.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's worse, the obsession is spreading to countries affected by Korean culture (aka songs and dances and boy/girlbands). Such as in my country, Indonesia, new stores with Korean beauty obsession signs are popping up everywhere. from the surgery, the face powder, bronzing and shimmering, clothes, and more nonsense stuff. There's nothing wrong by liking a certain culture, but here, people are getting as obsessed as Koreans themselves! Putting beauty and image over everything and all. I hope the beauty obsession and hype would die soon though.
Nadya
eyeshadow illustrator
http://thedillychic.com
I perfectly picture what your friend said to you. South Korea is a country where trends come and go very rapidly, but I don't know if I would consider it negatively considering that the fashion we know started emerging in Occident during the XIXth century while in Korea it is pretty recent. If you compare the behaviour of the korean youth towards trends to the one of the women of the XIXth century you will find similarities in the way they want to be up-to-date. Maybe their behaviour towards trends will change when fashion will be more established there, but again I don't consider it negatively, I am just an observer curious to see what's going to happen next.
DeleteAs for the beauty obssession I think it is inherent to the korean culture now. This country has had such a complicated History punctuated with the chinese and japanese domination and the last war that separates both Koreas that I don't find their obssession to beauty vain. After knowing such hardships sometimes to vent out all this it seems like human beings like to make the most of their lives on every aspect. Look what happened in Europe and the USA after WWI, people wanted to have fun, live their lives to the fullest hence the birth of the roaring twenties. I like to link everything to History. Now obviously the new generations in their 20's and 30's are not affected by the last traumatic events Korea knew, but nonetheless I like to think that without being conscious of it, they are actually affected by them, after all 1953 (date of separation of South Korea and North Korea)is not so far if you think about it.
Now stopping all my blabbering about History, to come back to present, I also understand your point of view, because even in Europe and the States there's a real infatuation for K-pop and dramas which leads to the exportation of the worst of South Korea or better said leads to the exportation of stereotypes of the country. K-pop culture may go global but it doesn't mean all korean are influenced by it.
Thanks a lot for your commment, it is much appreciated above all when knowing that you actually took time watching the video, reading what I wrote and left a comment !
Shug
Hey Shug !
ReplyDeleteThis was an eye-opening post and I really didn't know one bit about all of this. I am extremely happy you posted it and i could find time out for it. Plastic surgery here too is secretive, and no one talks about it proudly. Honestly I do not love my nose but I hardly think I would ever get operated for it. Its plain scary. But I can feel from the video and your experiences that beauty is deemed very highly there. I do feel, like in most cases, if it makes them happy then maybe we shouldn't judge. Interestingly in India people are obsessed with being fairer. And no-one is secretive about using fairness creams. Even during arrange marriages men look for "fair beautiful" wives. I do not appreciate this personally. There is a difference in wanting to change yourself to be accepted, and wanting to change yourself to be happier with your own self. I detest the former, which I feel is the cause for fairness-madness here.
It is very interesting how different cultures act to hardships. The west had the roaring twenties after WWI (as you pointed out above), Koreans maybe got obsessed with beauty and looking good and feeling good. India too was ruled by the British a century ago, similar hardships took place when we got partioned from Pakistan. People lost all their money and lands and families. But it has affected us in a different way. Indians have become terribly hard working, maybe unconsciously so, because they do not want to be under those sad conditions again. Average working hours are crazy across industries (between 10-12) If a company says 9 to 5, please expect it to be 9-8 or something.
Swati @ The Creative Bent
Hello Swati !
DeleteI am really glad you enjoyed the video and the whole post !
Like you I had an issue with my nose but got over it and now just can't imagine getting plastic surgery (even before I couldn't consider it how much I felt uncomfortable with it). Funny that you mentioned the fairnes-madness in India as in Africa and, for some African women living abroad, putting fairness products have become very common and this independently of the risks caused.
I am so impressed about the fact that for arranged marriages men have such requirement. I can understand requirements such as long hair, short hair, big eyes, small eyes etc..but "fair beautiful wives" ? I understand why you don't appreciate it and I have the same opinion as you on the subject. But I believe that all this fairness-madness exists because people think too highly of what the other people see about them instead of caring first about what they see about themselves. I also suspect that such a practice is used because unconsciously the model of "white people" (cringing while writing this) is still considered as a type of beauty to strive for.
I found it so interesting reading you speaking about India because it seems like I can relate because in Africa (obviously I could have said Cameroon but I feel like it can be applied to the whole continent hence my choice) things seem similar. Personally, I found it extraordinary since the culture of these two parts of the world is different.
I didn't know this side of India (well, not like I know this much about India either..ahaha) and good you pointed this out. Maybe this reaction of yours is also an other way to show your independence to your former ruler.
I think it would be totally interesting to write a post about how the canons of beauty of countries such as France or Great Britain affected the countries they colonized and how today these canons continue affecting people.
It was nice reading your comment, thank you so much for taking time to entirely read this post !
Shug