Aesthetics By Knife

Double-eyelid surgery. Rhinoplasty. V-line surgery. These are some of the most common procedures in South Korea. A Western crease, a higher and smaller nose, a slimmer V-shaped jawline. Women all across the country risk thousands of dollars, weeks of recovery time, and serious side effects to achieve these “more beautiful” features. In just the past few decades, the demand and popularity of cosmetic surgery have been on the rise. Today, one in five Korean women have had some sort of cosmetic surgery compared to one in twenty American women. But why is there such a drastic demand for these procedures in South Korea? It stems from a historical beginning and a modern society perpetuated by the pressure of beauty and sustained by cutting edge technologies.

In 1954, American plastic surgeon Dr. Ralph Millard travelled to South Korea work for the US Marine Corps in the post-Korean War period. Though his job was to help treat Korean accident and burn victims, during his time there Dr. Millard performed the first recorded double-eyelid surgery. He claimed that giving Asians a more Western look would help them “assimilate better into an emerging international economy.” After that, the surgery quickly gained popularity. It started with Korean prostitutes who got the surgery in an attempt to appeal to American soldiers. Then, it spread to Korean mainstream culture. Pretty soon after that, the double-eyelid surgery was common and very much normal. Even more, the hype extends far beyond those who reside in metropolises and industrialized areas. It pervades even small rural towns far from capitals or big cities, such as Gumi, which sits 115 miles away from the capital of Seoul. It has become a nationwide obsession.

Nowadays, surgery has become an ordinary part of growing up for most Koreans. Chae Jeongwon, a 16-year-old student from Gumi, explains her acceptance that she will one day have double-eyelid surgery: “It’s a present for senior schoolgirls. They say, Mommy, if you get my eyes or nose [done], my scores [will be] better than before.” Kang NaYeon, Jeongwon’s classmate, says she will get the double-eyelid surgery when she finishes her school exams. Double-eyelid surgeries and rhinoplasties have become as commonplace as to be synonymous with a graduation present or allowance; in fact, they have become so popular and mainstream that they are no longer referred to as “surgeries” but as “procedures.” These operations have become a routine part of adolescence for many girls across Korea.

Driven by a society that marries beauty and productivity, Korean adolescents seek to be the best they can be through intense schooling as well as cosmetic surgery. In Korea, the standards regarding women’s appearance are much harsher and stricter than in most of its Western counterparts. Though beauty is highly regarded almost everywhere, it is particularly open and upfront in Korea. For example, most job applicants are required to provide a headshot in their resumes as employers search for physical attractiveness in addition to their skills and qualifications. In today’s society, it’s not enough to just be capable you must also be beautiful. Ever since the economic crisis in 1997, people have been trying to gain advantage in the job market any way they can—even if it means getting plastic surgery to do it.

Beyond just the cultural burden that spurs this surgical boom, Korea has all the right advancements in technology to keep up. Korea prides itself on its ability to be constantly changing. In just a few decades the country may see drastic improvements in technology and industrialization. In Korea, technology infiltrates and dominates almost every part of life. Sixty-seven percent of Koreans use smartphones, the highest in the world, and ninety-five percent of households have Internet access. From karaoke studios to keyless doors, Korea’s technology is constantly bettering. Ultimately, this combined with the high demand allows for Korean surgeons, more so than any others in the world, to consistently modernize and experiment with cutting edge technology, making Korea a hub for cosmetic surgery and medical tourism.

On the other side, there has been a lot of backlash from those who claim that Korean women get these procedures to look “more white.” Dr. Hyuenong Park, a Korean surgeon, refutes that: “A small and slim face is ideal to most of people now. Even though many Caucasians have small and slim faces, it doesn’t mean Asians want to look like Caucasians. If you inspect some Caucasian celebrities, you find many examples of prominent jaws and high cheekbones. But if you inspect Asian celebrities, they all have small jaws and cheekbones.” He, like many others, attributes these quickly rising, commonly accepted practices to the K-pop (Korean pop music) culture. This culture has redefined beauty in a way that may, in some ways, mirror Caucasian features, but by no means seeks to copy them. It presents a package not limited to just music; young girls see their idols and like how they look and then they want to look like them too.

Perhaps one day the social pressures will lessen and the emphasis on beauty and necessity for cosmetic procedures will eventually dissipate. Or, perhaps one day technology will become so advanced that everyone will get surgery and be beautiful. Either way, for the time being, this booming national obsession can simply be seen as a country and culture that puts pressure on its people in order to be the best possible.

Sources:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/the-k-pop-plastic-surgery-obsession/276215/