Western Seoul November 2013 | Page 18

Kpop & Its effects on society and the fashion industry A ll celebrities are admired for their physical appearance; usually their dedicated fans mimic their clothing trends, hairstyles and beauty regimes. In Korea however, due to the immense popularity of the K-pop idols, the fans not only want to dress like them, they want their physical attributes as well. How is this done? Plastic Surgery. “one in five korean women have had some sort of cosmetic operation” -The Economist, 2009. The country has over taken the likes of Brazil and the USA with the highest rate of procedures vs. its total population. The facial transformations Korean’s re- South Korea has the highest total procedures of plastic quest resemble those of westerners with surgery in 2010 according to ISAPS larger eyes, straight noses and heart shaped faces that in Korean culture are seen as successful. The culture stresses that beauty is a means of success, and if you are blessed with good looks you will in later life be successful in gaining a career, marriage and children. 17 18