by Joshua Hong
Note: This article is part of a series of student editorials submitted to the annual New York Times Editorial Contest. If you submitted an editorial and would like to be published on The Helix, please contact the Co-Editors-in-Chief.
World-famous Kpop group, BTS (Credit: Twitter)
Money floods from her pocket, her face shifts permanently, and yet her insecurities drown her as she aspires to appear identical to the face on every billboard in the country. An unattainable and pure look: consisting of a pale complexion, double eyelids, a sharp jawline, a slim figure, and more desiderata positioned on a perpetual list, shapes the harsh beauty regulations South Korea embedded into their society.
The mental health of countless South Koreans is progressively waning. And who is to blame? K-pop.
South Koreans are notoriously known for their excessive beauty standards and obsession with altering their appearances, whether practicing make-up to unrecognizable states or simply falling victim to cosmetic surgeries to fit the trend. And with the increasing influence of K-pop, Korea’s unrealistic beauty standards are being advertised more than ever before. Unfortunately, as K-pop’s pervasiveness becomes apparent, so do the increasing mental health rates that exert on young people, particularly teenagers. Numerous teens are struggling to conform to these societal expectations popularized by the K-pop industry, consequently, distressing with body image issues.
K-pop companies are primarily responsible; their perpetuation of the already stringent beauty regulations directly links to the suffering of not only the fans but the stars as well. The companies rigorously stipulate the stars to satisfy the beauty ideals. Momo, a member of the renowned K-pop group Twice, confessed that she was once ordered to lose seven kilograms in a week. With other prominent artists like Jisoo from Blackpink and Bae Suzy portraying the homologous face of the beauty standard, fans desperately desire to look like them. That expected norm instituted by the companies inevitably prompts the fans to compare their natural features to the ones of their idols. Therefore, body image issues develop and many suffer from mental health concerns, particularly depression. They begin to ask themselves: “Am I enough?”
When viewing the pleasing appearances of K-pop stars, it is only expected for a fan to compare their looks to the ones dwelling in the beauty standard. Even I, a 16-year-old Korean-American, trivialize my looks in comparison to the almost perfect beauty of these K-pop stars. I recognize and distinguish flaws in my appearance on the account of coming across the beauty regulations the K-pop industry fixed and commercialized with their artists. Much like myself, many Koreans eventually turn to jealousy and some can’t handle the overbearing self-consciousness that tyrannizes their lives.
If K-pop did not pressurize fans and artists to appear in a particular way that satisfies the beauty standards, women would undoubtedly feel comfortable enough to face the outside world without diffidence. It’s about time Koreans acknowledge the present decadence in the K-pop culture and bolster their own character and individuality instead.
Sources
Cho, Karin. “The Destructive Effects of South Korea's Beauty Standards.” Medium. 22 May. 2020.
Stevenson, Alexandra. “South Korea Loves Plastic Surgery and Makeup. Some Women Want to Change That.” The New York Times. 23 Nov. 2018.