I've been in Korea for a little over a month and one thing about this culture that is clearly evident is their emphasis on beauty. This is collectively a very vain and superficial country. Walking the streets of Seoul, I see women in high heels, short mini skirts, and a face heavily applied with make-up. The women here for the most part are gorgeous, or use whatever tools necessary to assist them in becoming more aesthetically appealing. It's almost a bit ridiculous...I see women in 6 inch stilettos shopping at the grocery store. They always seem to be in heels. They don't like for women to show off their shoulders or cleavage here, but some of the skirts here shouldn't even be considered panties. I've seen many Korean cheeks hanging out due to the lack of modesty they hold when it comes to what they wear on their bottom half.Yet, it's not just the women here who are obsessed with beauty. Koreans seem to be a very metro sexual society. The men have dyed hair, perms, perfectly teased and flat ironed bangs. I often catch them fixing their hair in the mirrors on their phone or doing some extra primping in the windows of the subway. They wear skinny jeans, don the man purses, and paint their nails on a seemingly regular basis. Oh, and everyone here is a stick. I've only met one curvy Korean, but I would say about 95% of the ones I have seen are either rail thin and the other 5% are just a wee bit chubby.
It's just astonishing how much emphasis is put on physical appearance. I feel that I am considered very unattractive in Korea. I'm biracial, (black and Korean) and my skin tone is about the same shade as Beyonce or Halle Berry. Here, I'm considered dark! It's amazing...all my life I've been the light skinned girl, the red bone, high yellow...and now in this country I'm probably the darkest person some of these people have ever seen in real life!!! None of them even realize I'm kind of one of them since I have light brown skin.
I feel that all they see is darkness. They don't really consider darker skin here attractive. The women wear foundation and powder to make their faces whiter. Back in America we tan, put on bronzer, etc. all in the hopes of becoming that shimmery coppery color. Yet, here pale white is whats in. I'm used to seeing women who wear foundation three shades too dark and have the tan face and pasty neck. In Korea it's the opposite...ghostly white face with a slightly darker neck.Yet, I think the whole body image issue is what is really pressing to me. In Korea as I mentioned a moment ago, its attractive to be rail thin. The women have no breast, no butts, and not even the hint of a set of hips. I'm a homegrown country girl. I'm full-figured with curves I would normally feel are in all the right places. Yet here, my body gets disapproving looks. They almost gawk at me with disapproving stares as if they're thinking, "wow...fat, black...you're ugly." It's just amazing that what is considered attractive and unattractive can vary so greatly in every country. In The U.S. we love hips...women flock to get breast or butt implants in hopes of looking like J.Lo, Pam Anderson, or Beyonce.
I guess this is a humbling experience for me. By no means am I going to get low self-esteem because Korean people don't find me attractive, but it did hurt my ego. This has definitely made me reevaluate the arrogance I had about my looks. I never thought I was a vain person until I moved here. Then I realized how upset I was getting that the people here didn't find me attractive. I'm used to it being unanimous that I'm attractive...I might not be a drop dead supermodel gorgeous, but I'm a far cry away from a mangled bulldog. I think now I am really opening my eyes and understanding the true beauty we hold within. Now, I think I am making the first steps to appreciate what I have inside than caring about what everyone sees on the surface.
