How Korean Idols are Influencing the World to Look More Like Them

By: Gabriell Kleydman

The V-shaped face and porcelain skin is the new definition of beauty. (Credit: Luxnomade.com)

A lot of the things that we as a generation do are influenced by those around us that have some sort of impact on our way of life. The very same can be said of how people view beauty as a result of the South Korean Pop industry.

The K-pop industry is a dominating music industry not just in South Korea anymore, but all around the world. Along with the beautifully designed choreography and music, comes a different take on beauty standards.

The groups or bands that are released into the industry possess an unnatural beauty amongst themselves. In one way or another, they are revamping what being pretty used to be.

These idols, as they are called, come into the public with anime-like features, such as a V-shaped face which is typically unnatural. This surgery is called V-line surgery.

This surgery involves ‘breaking and shaving’ the jawline. Rather than getting this surgery for appearances, this surgery has been known as a procedure that is done only when someone’s teeth are misaligned.

There is also a risk of death and months upon months of pain when it comes to this procedure. To many though, especially those living in South Korea, view the dangers that comes along with this surgery as merely a small obstacle towards their goal of ultimate beauty.

Plastic surgery, something that does not take place too often in America, is more or less an everyday thing in South Korea. Advertisement that we would see for movies and actors are more often than not replaced with advertisements that are promoting these types of surgeries.

Even before Korean pop music became what it has today, in Korea the current generation of youth was being raised understanding that surgery was a fundamental part of their society, something that has always seemed so bizarre to Americans.

At this point, being beautiful, whether that constitutes as looking like a Korean idol or not, is so deeply ingrained in society. It is even built into an everyday workplace; in order to succeed you need to beautiful.

There are other aspects of Korean beauty that are being adopted more and more by everyone else around the world that do not have to do with plastic surgery and are still being promoted by the general public and Korean idols alike.

Many of us constantly marvel at how clear and near-porcelain Korean skin looks. Besides the aspect of genetics, this kind of skin can actually be achievable through something called The Ten Step Korean Skin Care Routine.

Created by a company called Soko Glam, it has become, “a global phenomenon, grounded in Korea’s obsession with healthy skin, and backed by decades of scientific advancement.”

Beginning with a makeup remover, the routine calls for two different types of cleansers: an oil-based cleanser, a water-based cleanser, an exfoliator to remove a layer of dead skin, a toner to remove any leftover excess from the cleansers, essence that helps with cell turnover, treatments that include serums which help with the reduction of acne or age lines, sheet masks that infuse your skin with essence, eye cream that prevents dark circles and puffiness, moisturizer that smooths your skin, and finally, some sunscreen.  

South Korea has influenced not only their population, but the rest of the world as well with what they think makes someone beautiful. As extreme as their methods may be to becoming beautiful, slowly but surely the rest of the world is adopting aspects of it, changing the way society views beauty.

Sources: sokoglam.com, eatyourkimchi.com