Behind the Scenes of Kpop

I still remember being introduced to my first Kpop video during my freshman year in college by a friend. It was called “Gee” by Girls Generation and I was amazed with the singing of the group, the melody pulled me in and with the cute choreography and matching outfits I became an instant fan. Since then I’ve grown fond of Kpop, but during those years I noticed changes in Kpop trends in which the aspect of beauty was becoming most drastically changed. Although being a fan of Kpop is one of the reasons why I chose the topic of plastic surgery in Korea, my interest is on women and how their role in Asian society has changed or developed throughout history.

Korea has a rich history, culture, and language and through time it has become one of the most modern societies. A major component of Korea’s society today is Kpop. Kpop is a fairly new concept that was created in the early 90’s, booming, becoming a world wide phenomenon. The Kpop phenomonon which has overtaken this small nation is just a small part of a larger phenomenon known as the Korean Wave (한류,Hanryu, or Hanryu star). This wave, which includes other forms of entertainment such as drama, has taken the world by storm. Since Kpop is so widespread and popular, it has a major influence on current trends. In addition to influencing dance, fashion, make-up, music, etc it has also greatly influenced an aspect of cosmetic beauty that has been shunned by traditional Korean culture: plastic surgery. Plastic surgery is not an acceptable practice among traditional Korean society members; they believe you are supposed to accept your body the way it is. Despite this belief, in the mid 2000’s Kpop fans and the media began noticing various physical changes in appearance among Kpop idols. After fans and media began questioning changes, it was discovered that Kpop artists were using plastic surgery to enhance their features. Eventually some admitted to the public they used plastic surgery. After Kpop artists admitted to having plastic surgery, it has now become more acceptable in Korean society. After it became more widely accepted in Korea, acceptance of plastic surgery in China and Japan also became normalized, to the point that each year Chinese and Japanese fly to Korea to alter their looks to mirror the famous Kpop artists that they admire. Throughout this essay I will introduce the history of how the culture of Kpop began, gradually showing the changes made and brought to the stage until plastic surgery became accepted among the culture.