Korea has always been a country known for plastic surgery. Ever since I was little, Korean dramas have been popular among many households in Asia. However, one comment that I always hear repeatedly from my aunt, who is a big fan of all the Korean dramas, about the actresses in the shows is that “ oh, she is pretty, but she’s got plastic surgery.”Therefore, I grew up with the impression that ALL Korean women who are pretty must have had plastic surgery done themselves. Some examples of the popular plastic surgery in Asia are such as double eyelids surgery, chin extension surgery, nose job, fillings or even the bleaching of the skins to make themselves to appear to be “whiter.” It is not hard to see that Asian women are trying to perform surgeries on themselves to make themselves look as far away from the stereotypical Asian looks as possible. Some people believe that this has something to do with the Eurocentric standard of beauty and some even relate this to racial problems, however, I disagree with this saying. While the Western culture influences the Asian beauty standard, it is unfair to say that the Asian women are trying to look more like white people. People are striving for a certain look because of that match the aesthetic of a certain culture; I know many girls who are Asians and have had plastic surgeries done on their faces, but none of them undergo the surgeries thinking that they want to obtain Caucasian face features.
As Professor Lee said in the article, the Miss Korea gif went viral on the internet due to people’s shocking reaction over how identical all the contestants while the truth is the photos of the contestants have been photoshopped. In one of the documentaries done by CBS called “Behind the plastic surgery boom in South Korea,” the show send the host to interview the patients for plastic surgery in Korea. However, as the host stepped into the plastic surgery clinic, he made a comment about how the two ladies at the front desk look identical since he thought they both have plastic surgery performed on their faces. However, it is very obvious that not only do the two ladies look nothing alike; it is even more apparent that the woman on the left has nature and average looking face while the woman on the right has a visible sign of plastic surgery on her face. People had put this stereotypical impression on Korean women just like I had when I was growing up. A lot of times the only see an individual who has had plastic surgery done is their faces and neglected their personality and other characteristics about the person. I believe that at the end of the day, regardless of what people think or said, I think everyone has the right to strive for a better look. If getting plastic surgeries do make people feel happier, then I think no one has the right to tell others what is the right thing to do.