Striving for Perfection or Self-Destruction?
Written By Kaitlyn Chan
In the following article, many terms well-known in K-pop would be used. To clarify misunderstandings to readers unfamiliar with K-pop, this section explains different vocabulary.
- “Third-generation”: Groups that debuted in the year between 2012 to 2017
- “Fourth-generation”: Groups that debuted in the year between 2018 to 2023
- “Comeback”: A group/soloist coming back with new music
- Entertainment companies: Usually companies operating as a record label, talent agency, music production company and much more. Companies mentioned include JYPE (Twice) and SM Entertainment (æspa).
Throughout the past decade, especially post-2014, K-pop has been gaining more popularity than ever before. Third-generation groups such as Blackpink, EXO, and Twice have been a few of the most domestically famous K-pop groups since their debut. However, as we all know, K-pop is, in reality, an international phenomenon, attaining far more than tens of millions of fans globally. Known for their unforgettable songs and being the trendsetters of our world, K-pop’s main appeal would most definitely be idols’ captivating visuals and perfect-like body features, essentially becoming the embodiment of East Asia’s beauty standards.
With the uprising of fourth-generation groups, more and more idols feed into the beauty standards at extreme lengths to be further desirable. The ever-increasing fan service given to the audience causes noticeable damage to the idols and their fans. With the drastic growth of K-pop fans, body image and lack of self-confidence becomes more of a prevalent issue throughout the K-pop industry and amongst their fans.
It’s no surprise that the K-pop entertainment industry is heavily known for its glamour and ideal lifestyle. Every idol has a slim and fit physique, flawless makeup and the most up-to-trend clothing. Whether performing a new song, attending fan greetings, or casually going out, each idol looks astonishing with the outfits curated for them. Outfits, unsurprisingly, aren’t the only eye-catching aspects of them. Their makeup and body features often draw attention to them from all fans. Yet, the process of attaining the idyllic physique is far from glamorous. Idols undergo years of training, diets, and day-to-day workouts to uphold the picture-perfect image. However, through the years of working in the entertainment industry, idols are put on gradually harsher circumstances to maintain the figure they started with. As the years go by, the line between the perfect features and risking physical health only continues to blur.
Dieting Methods and Their Impact
In the years of training for a chance to debut in the spotlight, trainees have to cater to Korean beauty standards with harsh and dangerous tactics. Momo, a 26-year-old (as of July 2023) idol from JYPE’s girl group Twice, once revealed that to lose lots of weight a week before her debut, she had a diet of eating nothing but ice cubes whilst going to the gym every day of the week (mkim93, “Allkpop”). The diet had taken such a toll on her that “While sleeping, I shed tears because I was afraid whether I would be able to get up or not the next day,”. Despite the horrifying truth, it’s not uncommon for idols to go through such rigorous diets pre and after their debut.
An extremely popular K-pop idol, Wonyoung, from the girl group IVE, is fairly well known for her tall yet extremely skinny figure. From her appearance in the spotlight at the age of 14 years old (“PRODUCE 48 (Survival Show) Contestants Profile”), Wonyoung has long adhered to the beauty expectations placed on her, leading her to be the brand ambassador of many popular brands such as Miu Miu, Chaumet, Innisfree, and even BVLGARI (“Koreaboo”). Despite being one of the most popular idols in K-pop’s fourth generation, her body shape becomes evermore concerning with each comeback, as her weight becomes a hot topic amongst fans the more weight she loses. In the group’s comeback with the single “After Like”, many viewers pointed out the alarming sight, with her ribcage and shoulder blades being noticeably visible during the song’s choreography (ALL THE K-POP). This is further supported by her personal Instagram comment section flooded with comments about her physical appearance.
With thousands of K-pop idols going through risky diets to appeal to beauty standards, many people may come to ask themselves, is being on the verge of getting hospitalized worth it for a “picture-perfect” image? Personally, I would much rather idols be healthy than concern fans for their body.
The Line Between Authenticity and Enhancement
The girl group “æspa” in their most recent comeback “Spicy”
While idols are known for their stunning visuals, the reality is that many of them have undergone plastic surgery to achieve a flawless yet natural appearance. From the pressure of their entertainment companies to keeping up with beauty standards, many have gotten plastic surgery to become more attractive.
SM Entertainment’s girl group, æspa, is speculated to have a few members who had plastic surgery; regarding their nose, jaw structure, and eye shape (subsubone02, “Allkpop”). Although all of these are just speculations from their active years in K-pop, it’s undeniable that many of their features had changed pre and post-debut. With regards to plastic surgery being a choice made by idols and their respective entertainment companies, it could have a significant impact on an idol’s body image as well as their image. The use of plastic surgery normalises unrealistic beauty standards in the industry, leading to a domino effect where an increasing amount of idols feel the intense pressure to oblige to the standards.
The Process of Admiration to Insecurity
As previously mentioned, K-pop has become a global phenomenon, gaining millions of fans in each region, and with its popularity, many people are bound to be heavily influenced by the media they’ve consumed. As nearly every aspect of an idol’s life is monitored and analysed by the world, many of their interests and features are taken note of, where many would want to look or dress like their favourite K-pop idol. Aside from the exposure of Korean makeup and skincare along with captivating clothing trends started by idols, many fans strive to be as physically fit as them, with idols such as Kazuha from Le Sserafim and Changbin from Stray Kids being a few of the more well-known muscular idols in the industry. However, other idols such as Wonyoung from IVE, Rosé from Blackpink, and Yuna from ITZY, are also well-known in the industry, notably for their skinny figure and beautiful facial features.
It’s no surprise that, in our teenage years, body dysmorphia becomes a prevalent issue that becomes increasingly worse as we grow up. Whether it be the constant comparisons amongst peers, spending too much time scrolling through our Instagram feeds or passing by flawless strangers on the streets, any of our imperfections become more noticeable as we feel worse about our bodies. With the upsurge of K-pop, easily influenced children to teenagers are presented with many idols achieving the Korean beauty standard, which could have a major impact on their self-esteem.
The search result when searching “The (name of idol) Diet” on YouTube
Throughout 小红书 (xiaohongshu), Twitter, and other social media platforms, numerous posts give insight into how to achieve a body similar to Rosé, Kazuha, or Wonyoung. Many of the posts were relatively positive and led viewers in a healthy direction. However, others would post their unsettling meal plans to achieve the body of skinnier K-pop idols, where a lack of nutrition and calories are noticeable in their day-to-day meals. As idols often have dermatologists, dieticians, and fitness coaches to guide them on their road to weight loss or muscle gain, most K-pop fans don’t have the same luxury in doing so. Thus, when practising these methods, fans are prone to getting injured without proper direction. As such, with the ever-increasing number of people attempting such dangerous tactics as idols did, the possibility of being in danger also rises, putting more and more people at risk when striving to achieve unrealistic East Asian beauty standards.
Ultimately, the complexity of the K-pop industry’s beauty standards and culture of perfectionism has taken a toll on not only the health of idols but fans as well. From strict dieting methods to plastic surgery, the pressure to live up to the standards could and has led to both idols and fans being overwhelmed. As a result, the likelihood of developing body dysmorphia and overall a negative body image becomes a real possibility. The issues highlighted present the severity of K-pop’s need for perfectionism and the importance of how a healthier lifestyle should be promoted in the industry.
Works Cited
mkim93. “TWICE’s Momo Explains Why and How She Lost 7kg (15lbs) before Debuting | Allkpop.” Allkpop, allkpop, 12 May 2018, http://www.allkpop.com/article/2018/05/twices-momo-explains-why-and-how-she-lost-7kg-15lbs-before-debuting#:~:text=Momo%20answered%2C%20%22The%20company%20told,single%20day%20for%20seven%20days Accessed 14 July 2023.
“PRODUCE 48 (Survival Show) Contestants Profile (Updated!).” Kpop Profiles, 17 Aug. 2020, kprofiles.com/produce-48-members-profile/. Accessed 14 July 2023.
“Koreaboo.” Koreaboo, 16 Aug. 2022, http://www.koreaboo.com/lists/9-brands-ive-jang-wonyoung-ambassador-bulgari-miu-miu-innisfree-sktelecom/. Accessed 14 July 2023.
ALL THE K-POP. “[쇼챔직캠 4K] IVE JANG WONYOUNG – after like (아이브 장원영 – 애프터 라이크) | Show Champion | EP.448.” YouTube, 7 Sept. 2022, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUEFlEFGWKY. Accessed 14 July 2023.
subsubone02. “Plastic Surgery Accusations Come up after Netizens Discovered How Different the Aespa Members Looked Pre-Debut | Allkpop.” Allkpop, allkpop, 26 Nov. 2020, http://www.allkpop.com/article/2020/11/plastic-surgery-accusations-come-up-after-netizens-discovered-how-different-the-aespa-members-looked-pre-debut. Accessed 14 July 2023.