* Sorry friends for the late posting... I saved this post as a draft and never got to published it until now.
My
intercultural scenario is drawn from South Korea, also often known as the land
of plastic surgery beauties and Mecca of cosmetic surgery. I may have
unconsciously experienced its excellence during my trip to Seoul a year ago but I'm certain I got the Korean society's stance on cosmetic surgery.
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| A cosmetic surgery ad found in a Seoul train with the words in red saying " It's my design" |
In place of the total defense ads found in buses and trains in Singapore that appeal to citizens to voluntarily protect our homeland, ads in Seoul’s public transport showcase incredible before-and-after cases of individuals who have undergone plastic surgery.
The fact
that such ads are found so easily and in such visible places show that
having plastic surgery is not something most Koreans frown upon. Yet, it also
reveals that the importance of good looks in the Korean society and this
inevitably exerts pressure on individuals to constantly re-evaluate their self image – in this case, public transport commuters may be confronted with
such issues on a daily basis.
This sight is unlikely to be witnessed in Singapore since having plastic surgery is usually seen in a negative light by society. Also, it tends to be considered as an affair of the rich and famous rather than of the mainstream (as in South Korea) since the former are thought to be the ones with money to spend on such procedures. This idea of a good self image might not be as influential in the Singapore society as it operates on the principle of meritocracy where citizens are credited for their merits rather than physical appearance. In contrast, in Seoul, Koreans believe that being good-looking give them a head start in their intensely competitive society by widening their social networks.
Such ads are often accompanied by 'Korean' vocabulary which ironically uses English alphabets to describe highly desirable body images that are heavily endorsed and publicized by the media. Here are a few examples:
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| The X- line (long arms and legs with a narrow waist) *Notice the 'X' in the background |
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| The S- line (a curvaceous figure) |
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| The two types of V-line |
Did you know that people may receive plastic surgery as their 18 year old birthday presents or that it is extremely common for college students to have cosmetic procedures during their summer breaks before they return to school?
While it is natural for people to want to look good, in the South Korean context, such standards are taken to incomprehensible level as Koreans work around an image of an ideal beauty/ hunk. Even though men have their fair share of 'lines' like the M-line which is used to illustrate defined six-packs, Korean women face
disproportionately more societal pressure to look good than men. This is mainly because the Korean
society subscribes to Confucian ideals which emphasise hierarchy and male-dominant principles. Some skeptics (or not) have even gone ahead to suggest that the societal importance on good looks is the result of a survivalist philosophy/mentality among Koreans. Accordingly, men go under the knife to hang on to their dominant position in society and women do likewise to survive in a male-dominated society.
Maybe its good that we hear it from the horse's mouth? Let's see what Arirang Today has to say about why are Koreans so into their looks ;) Hmm, so might Singaporeans' lack of receptiveness to plastic surgery and their sloppy dressing a good societal trend and a blessing in disguise?
Hi Ximin!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interesting post=) I'll be sure to look out for such advertisements when I visit Korea soon=)
yeah, many Koreans' obsession with looks does seem overboard. The people who appeared in the video don't look like they need anything done with their looks anyway. But I'm not against plastic surgery if it helps increase the person's confidence.
However, I don't think Singaporeans' sloppy dressing is a good societal trend (though I'm guilty of dressing sloppily too). It just shows how lazy the people are. It is a form of respect to dress appropriately in different situations and it is just not right to wear flip-flops where ever we go.
Hi Eileen, haha! Keep a look out on them then while also looking at the hot guys in the trains haha. Yup, I agree with you that dressing appropriately in different situations is a sign of respect to others. Actually flip flops are a fashion statement, aren't they? I can't believe they are sometimes very much more expensive than regular slippers or shoes.
DeleteThanks, XiMin, for this highly detailed, graphic discussion of the social trend in Korea for cosmetic surgery. This post reads quite well -- even with a few minor subject-verb agreement errors -- and it documents a significant cultural norm. I really appreciate your citing of secondary source information related to the topic and including the video. I wonder though if the idea that the media is shaping tastes toward a stylized/idealized sense of beauty is just Korean. I have seen many examples here in the media. But I value your analysis (though you left out the obvious close-to-home example of uni students at NUS not obsessing over looks and fashion), and I enjoyed the mention you make of billboards here with national service references. So true!
ReplyDeleteIn any case, this is an interesting post. (But where are your blog group members' comments?)
Hi Xi Min I'm here to comment! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the interesting post! Oh my I didn't know that there are even advertisements on plastic surgery in Korea! I guess it must be the norm for most Koreans to alter their looks to make themselves seem more presentable. I am not too sure if the media also plays the role in labelling Korea as the land of plastic surgery as we also have the stereotypes of most Koreans as being plastic. I admit I do subscribe to that stereotype - especially when I try to spot the possible facial amendments whenever I watch a Korean drama with my mother!
It may be societal pressure that pushes most people to go under the knife and given its highly desirable aesthetic results, maybe it's not that bad after all!
Maybe it isn't that bad after all huh? Pretty people everywhere? But I think the more dangerous issue is what if people are increasingly discriminated based on their facial appearances and thus have unequal opportunities to achieve upward social mobility? I think surely we don't want this to happen. But then again, may be by having so many beautiful people, good looks are no longer important as they do not give people an edge over others?
DeleteHi Xi Min..
ReplyDeleteLast year, I met a Korean exchange student who told me the same story. She said that she was a minority for not performing any surgeries on her early 20s. I am agree with Eileen: we look so sloppy. lol..
I am wondering, maybe is it because of our difference in the definition of dream jobs? Many Singaporean parents wish their children will climb the corporate ladder through getting good grades and hard work. I read an article that mentioned many Korean parents want their children to become celebrities or singers.
As for me, I am not against beauty industry (by the way, there are beauty ads in Singapore's public transportation such as those from hair growth center and slimming center). I support people who simply wants to look better. However, if the females of a society went to beauty treatments or plastic surgeries because they feel bad about themselves or because they have low self-esteem, that is just unacceptable.
Yup, i agree with you that it is unacceptable that people go under the knife because they have self-esteem issues. But how do we feel self-assured? I guess we have to be discerning of content that the media projects? What's photo-shopped and unrealistic? Probably, we also have to be aware of the fact that the economy sustains itself by exploiting our insecurities.
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