The typical Korean beauty standard has given women, both Korean and non-Koreans, a bit of stress— especially for the female Kpop fan. The V-line face and the S-line body type with pale skin and round eyes is the typical ideal I’ve been seeing as a Kpop fan for years. Yuri from SNSD is famous for her S-line body shape (turned sideways the body looks like an S), but has usually gone against the norm to keep her “dark pearl” (tan) complexion. However, her group mates Taeyeon and Yoona have the X-line (long legs and arms with a thin waist) body type with pale skin. All three women have the V-line face.
To attain this beauty standard, many in South Korea get plastic surgery. This is nothing new even for the average Korean girl just graduating high school. Many have the double eyelid surgery and some even receive it as a gift from their parents. Yet, there is a double standard that both Korean and international fangirls have towards plastic surgery. Some agree that these artists look better with surgery, while others criticize and mock the artist without understanding the social pressures to be an entertainer and look a certain way. One would ask why these artists receive hate for wanting to look a certain way when it’s their companies that advise them to do so. Suspected surgery shouldn’t be what we care about when listening to Kpop music, but sadly many times it is. Can anyone doubt that Taeyeon has a good voice? Or that Yuri’s acting and music is entertaining? Even if their music isn’t a fan’s forte, should they be harshly judged if they have gone under the knife? I say no.
But there is also hate towards the female artists who haven’t had plastic surgery. In June of 2016 Suhyun of AKMU admitted on the show “Happy Together” that she would never get plastic surgery. Throughout her career she has been bullied, mostly from female netizens, for being “ugly” and not meeting the facial Korean beauty standard.
However, Suhyun has a beauty channel on YouTube called Mochipeach where she does makeup tutorials and has quite the fanbase. Her voice is one to admire too since her tone and high notes have been praised by both YG and AKMU fans.
Another unfortunate body shaming incident is Kyla from Pristin who received major bullying for her weight. At fifteen, she received hate about the fact that she was heavier compared to her members. While many international fangirls looked up to her, some Korean and international fans still continued to slander her on social media. Though she doesn’t have the exact Korean beauty standard, Kyla still has her fans and her own natural beauty. There have been no reports of her ever having surgery as her young age wouldn’t permit her to do so. She was pressured to lose weight. For me, I noticed that she has lost weight in recent months but didn’t need to do so. She was at a healthy weight for her height and though she was a bit rounder, there was no health concern ever reported as to why she needed to lose weight. The cyber bullying, mostly from what I could tell, were from female netizens who just wanted to spread their hate.
Then there’s AOA‘s Seolhyun. Plastered everywhere in South Korea during 2016, many female fans were tired of seeing her everywhere as a top beauty. Seolhyun’s fanbase has mostly been male for her sexiness, V-line face, S-line body, and a sweet demeanor. All combined, these many charms are usually what made guys fall for her. Yet many female haters have tried to ruin her as well.
In a recent scandal, her face was photoshopped onto someone else’s body to make it look like Seolhyun’s then boyfriend Zico had taken a picture of her in a compromising situation. Why did such an incident occur in the first place? Is there jealousy regarding how Seolhyun looks? Both she and FNC Entertainment have stated that she is a natural beauty. As a result, that has spawned hatred among many female netizens. Yet to me, this is ridiculous! Netizens try to prove why she has had surgery, but makeup, dieting, and age can make subtle changes to the appearance, as can camera lighting and angles. I agree with her claim of never having plastic surgery, but should this even be a topic of debate?
All these women mentioned above are gorgeous! Period. There is beauty in variety and there is beauty in the stories they tell. Apart from their good looks though, these ladies have a lot of talent to offer fans that go beyond their normal Kpop activities in Korea. Did you know Yuri went to Miami with DJ Raiden for the Ultra Music Festival? Or that Seolhyun will be acting in the historical movie Ansisung (Ansi Fortress) that will be released at the end of this year? The point is, as female Kpop fangirls, shouldn’t we set an example and support female artists just as much as we do the males? A lot of talent goes unnoticed because the Kpop community praises male artists before female artists. Yes, I do love many male Kpop artists, groups, and bands. Yet, with my years being into Kpop, I have found that I related better to the music either written by female artists, sung by female artists, or even just through the characters they have played in various projects.
TVXQ‘s Jaejoong was the person who got me interested in Kpop many years ago, but it was Sunny of SNSD— her personality being nearly identical to mine— who made me stay and love the Kpop genre. My suggestion is that if you see yourself hating on a female Kpop artists and bashing her looks, maybe you should look at your motivations to see where the hate is really coming from. Is it jealousy over her looks? Is it envy over her fame? Or is it even just because she is close to your favorite male bias? No one says you have to like every celebrity or idol, but if you find yourself complaining and writing rude comments, ask yourself why you find your dislike of that person important enough that you spend time making your dislike of her known in a public setting. Idols are human just like fans are, and criticism and hateful comments have the power to hurt them deeply.
Instead of hating on that idol, try discovering more of her music or acting or variety show appearances. Maybe she has a hidden talent you don’t know about or maybe she has a lot of similar personality traits as you do. As a general rule, especially with looks, it’s best that if you have a negative thought, you shouldn’t go on the web and spread the hate. I assure you, no one truly appreciates it. Cyber bullying and hateful comments only spread negativity and help no one in the end. In addition, it’s time for females to start valuing and appreciating other females, especially in such a demanding industry where the pressure to have perfect looks is already overwhelming and difficult.
Is there a female Kpop artist you love that wasn’t mentioned? Which female artist do you look up to the most in Kpop? Tell us in the comments below! We’d love to hear who your favorite female Kpop celebrity is!
Paradoxicalsuds has been into Kpop since high school, and has grown to not only love the music, but the Korean culture, language, and Korea’s rich history. An avid Sone, Primadonna, Elvis, and IGOT7, she has also cascaded into Seventeen’s Diamond Life and has no wish of ever escaping. When she’s not writing on WTK you can find her reading various books and drinking tea with her various pets.
Media: SBS, Instagram: Yulyulk, Saraimel.
Sources: Saraimel, OneHallyu, The Atlantic