Toxic Beauty Standards of Korean Idols
Over the years, Korean pop has become a worldwide sensation that changed the history of international music. Korean idols have even been used in many advertisements on US TV channels, such as BTS and Newjeans for McDonald’s or Samsung.
BTS and Blackpink have paved the way in the Western world to accept Korean pop and give other artists, such as Stray Kids, Mamamoo, Twice, TXT, Treasure, and many more, a chance to earn fame. However, the life of an idol will always be challenging with the high expectations they are forced to reach, specifically the toxic beauty standards.
Male and female idols experience the toxic beauty standards from society and their fans to look a certain way, slowly affecting their physical and mental well-being through social media and the industry. Even though the toxic beauty standards will influence society, educating others can reveal the reality idols must face.
K-pop’s Brief History
K-pop has long existed in the world and the U.S., even though the 1950s were a time of social reforms alongside activist songs. Korean pop has held the importance of freedom of expression when the public wants to be heard, leading to new generations and inspiration. Although Korean Pop, or K-pop, is popular, only a few know the history behind the building blocks of this music genre.
In the Los Angeles Film School’s “A Brief History Of K-pop,” the Kim Sisters are stated as being the foundation of Korean pop that paved the way for future idols and the popularity of K-pop. In the 1950s, The Kim Sisters gained popularity in the U.S. and became the first Korean singers to appear on the Billboard chart, laying a path for K-pop and establishing a culture for modern idols. The Kim Sisters created a gateway for other idols to express their musical interests across each K-pop era’s generation.
The first and second generations comprise the 1990s and early 2000s, but the third generation of the 2010s includes the most successful groups: BTS and Blackpink. BTS and Blackpink have been the most influential groups in the K-pop industry; they changed the course of this genre globally and the expression of Korean culture. Because of them, K-pop’s popularity and influence won’t fade from being a worldwide sensation.
Female Idols’ Diets
While K-pop has grown worldwide, so has its regulations on what defines beauty for idols. The toxic beauty standards in the diet culture for female idols standards require having a slim waist and thin legs. Society’s expectations cause these idols to go into health routines and diets to lose weight as fast as possible. The extreme diets include the IU diet: one apple for breakfast, two sweet potatoes for lunch, and a protein shake for dinner. Chanya Sugathadasa, from Teen Magazine, lists the diets female idols use to meet the requirements of the ideal body. Sugaathandasa also mentions that many idols explain their experiences through these diets. Momo from Twice went through a rigorous diet by surviving on an ice cube daily to lose seven kilograms (roughly fifteen pounds) within a week. Another diet was the thirteen-day Wheesung diet, which Wendy from Red Velvet used. It consisted of half a cup of rice for breakfast and half an apple for dinner. Female idols’ diets are expected to reach the “perfect” weight and ideal body image to meet society’s expectations.
Social media is another contributor to the diet culture. According to an article published by The Conversation about the ways social media can negatively affect body image, social media can lead users to develop an eating disorder from seeing others’ unhealthy eating habits. The influence of social media on idols indicates the pressure of society and fans’ expectations of their body image. The lifestyle of a female idol’s diet is glorified and perceived as “perfect” even if it’s just harmful to their body.
The Influence of Plastic Surgery
Female idols such as Jisoo have been perceived as the perfect way an idol should look and are pressured on how they need to work towards beauty. In addition, plastic surgery is also a common practice for female idols when they don’t reach specific toxic beauty standards. It’s so accessible that companies encourage K-pop idols to get plastic surgery, even at a young age, to modify their facial features, specifically their jawline or nose. In an episode of the Morning Edition about South Korean beauty standards, author Elise Hu points out that the procedure for female idols is to have a slightly smaller chin. To achieve this, they would get V-Line surgery that removes bits of fat from the jaws to create a heart-shaped jawline.
Idols have been offered these surgeries. Sugathadasa lists the artists who were offered, such as Jessi and Lia. Even if there were a slight difference in their facial expressions, their companies would offer plastic surgery, or even the fans would want them to get plastic surgery to reach the toxic beauty standards.
The nose and eyelids are also other features of female idols that are focused on by the industry and fans. Having a slim and small nose symbolizes innocence and purity. Double eyelids are also considered attractive, relating to innocence. Some idols get these surgeries to boost their confidence and not only to please the public.
Comparison between Female Idols
The K-pop community has a habit of comparing their female idols with each other. The industry and their fans compare which idol is more sexy, skinny, beautiful, and anyone who fits into the toxic beauty standards.
You Reign Here Blog, a blogger from Medium, empathizes with how female idols are put on the list of who is more beautiful or skinny. You Reign Here Blog includes how idols such as Jessi aren’t mentioned in these lists since her body is extremely different and doesn’t fit into the Korean industry's beauty standards. The comments of the industry and their fans can negatively affect their mentality and self-esteem within the industry. However, there are many idols, such as Hwasa, who have started to go against the toxic beauty standards and embrace themselves.
Male Idols’ Dieting Culture
The dieting culture of male idols is just as pressured by society’s expectations to reach toxic beauty standards. Male idols must have more body mass chiseled with a muscular physique while maintaining their slim body and attractiveness. The male idol bodies are posed as “androgynous or chiseled physiques” by gaining through rigorous training and diets. These diets can affect the physical body of these idols, who undergo rigorous training and diets that deplete the intake of nutrients to lose weight for the “perfect” body image. Ellie Goodwin, an author from The Korea Times, further explains how difficult it is to keep up this diet and that the company would do anything for them to lose weight, even if it means they need to take supplements.
The writer Cara Balen of the London Runway uses how male idols are supposed to keep their masculine beauty in their groups instead of having petite bodies. Keeping this type of rigorous training is to fit into the toxic beauty standards by keeping a slim body. The concepts of male idols’ body image and weight are set high to reach the expectations of the pressure of their fans and society with the help of social media. According to an article published by The Conversation, male idols feel pressure to reach society’s body image and specific weight, which could develop into a mental disorder, specifically an eating disorder. Fans think the life of a male idol may be a calm life, but the pressure of society for beauty takes a toll.
The Influence of Makeup
Makeup has been an influence on male idols. It can used to enhance their beauty; however, some products can be harmful to their bodies. An author for Greenhaven Press, Stacy Malkan, illuminates harmful products being used, such as cream whiteners, for people with darker skin just to fit society’s expectations. Male idols have to deal with the toxic masculinity of using makeup. Many male idols are criticized for wearing makeup and made fun of questioning their masculinity.
The criticism from the outside world and the questioning of their masculinity can lead to mental conflicts about themselves. However, Balen mentions that with the influence of makeup, Western culture has become more and more open to accepting men wearing makeup, which doesn’t tarnish their masculinity.
Idols' Poor Mental Health
Society's harsh expectations for idols' beauty can develop into something more serious. The overproduction, pressure, and expectation from society towards idols can affect their mental health, which can develop into stress, anxiety, and depression. Claudia Orenstein, the reviewer of K-pop, mentions the idols' are overworked to the point of exhaustion and fainting. All the pressure of their industry and fans can cause them to crack.
Even though being an idol is their job, overworking, pressure to change their image, lose weight, and follow the toxic beauty standard can pile up into something more significant: suicide. According to a Washington Post article about K-pop star Moonbin, many famous idols face extreme pressures, leading to some, such as Moonbin, to take their lives at a young age. In Moonbin’s case, the record company refrained from telling the public the reason behind his death. Another idol, Kim Jong-hyun from SHINee, also lost his life from a long-time battle with depression. The deaths of other idols even affect those who were close to them or a part of the group who each other as friends.
Conclusion
Mental health is essential, and should be discussed since idols are losing their lives from depression to escape the pressure of society’s toxic beauty standards of the world spread through social media.
These toxic beauty standards will always influence the lives of K-pop idols and how they should act, so long as society, social media, and fans keep commenting on idols’ diet, facial image, and mental health, trying to help or hurt them. Society will always have the option to comment about idols, but through the ever-changing world, there will be voices that will call out toxic beauty standards.
Additional Sources Used in this Article
Malkan, Stacy. “The Beauty Industry Promotes Unrealistic Beauty Standards.” Greenhaven Press. 2010. Found on Gale In Context.
“K-pop star Moonbin, member of boy band Astro, dies at age 25.” Washingtonpost.com. Found on Gale In Context.
Orenstein, Claudia. “Kpop by Ars Nova (Review).” Asian Theatre Journal. Found on EBSCOhost.
“South Korean beauty culture reveals a grim future in ‘Flawless.” Morning Edition. 2023. Found on Gale In Context.
The Conversation, editor. “Mounting Research Documents the Harmful Effects of Social Media Use on Mental Health, Including Body Image and Development of Eating Disorders.” The Conversation. 2023. Found on Credo Reference.
