The Ungratifying Labor of Perfection by Eugene Chung

“So, when are you getting double eyelid surgery with her?” my aunt asked me half-jokingly. I didn’t know what to be more taken aback about: the fact that she was suggesting I get double eyelid surgery, or that the “her” she was referring to was her own daughter, who hadn’t even turned one yet. At a very alarming young age, girls in Korea are introduced to a world where beauty is prioritized above everything else, a society where looks determine your worth. Monolids aren’t considered beautiful, which is quite ironic considering the fact that monolids are more prevalent in Koreans than double eyelids. As a matter of fact, only about 32% of Koreans have congenital double eyelids. However, the problem doesn’t end with whether or not one has double eyelids – women must also be thin, have fair (white) skin, a v-shaped jaw, and a high, yet thin nose bridge. 

Given that the culture we live in criticizes those who don’t comply with the impossible beauty standards of Korea, women go through extreme measures in order to be accepted into society. Many women, especially teenagers, starve themselves in order to lose weight – sometimes until their weight drops to a life-threatening range of 30 to 40 kg. Others choose a more dangerous route by taking vast amounts of constipation pills for a drastic weight loss. Eating disorders are especially prevalent in young girls, many of whom get involved in the "pro-ana" movement that shares information through websites and social media accounts about how to throw away lunch at school without raising alarms and getting caught by parents. Many others get plastic surgery solely for the sake of job advancement, as how attractive one looks can greatly impact one's job prospects. In fact, South Korea has one of the highest rates of plastic surgery in the world, with 1 million procedures being performed every year. According to a study by KOSIS, 99% of the women who have undergone plastic surgery did so for cosmetic reasons. 

But can you blame them? It may as well be inevitable for us to conform. We are heavily influenced by the things around us, from YouTube advertisements that promote weight loss remedies to before and after plastic surgery ads in the subways. Had I not moved to Korea, maybe I wouldn't have given into Korea’s societal pressure – not even coming across the prospect of getting a double eyelid surgery. Many girls claim that they go to such an extent for themselves only, but it makes me wonder if this is just what they’re convincing themselves of, when in reality, it’s just another act of subconsciously succumbing to Korea’s absurd beauty standards. 

Of course, the decisions we make as a woman regarding our physical appearance are personal, and don't necessarily have to be taken in an unwelcoming manner. However, only when people are being systematically pressured into looking a certain way, it becomes a problem. We should be creating a society that proves that superficial beauty doesn’t determine our worth – which starts with us. We must face the realities of our situation and fight for what we believe. And in order for this to happen, we must first change our views of ourselves – not letting society get to us. Only then, can we help others to do the same. We see this taking place through a recent rise of the women's rights movement called #EscapeTheCorset. With viral videos and posts of women going against the epitome of KBeauty (destroying cosmetic products, taking off makeup for the world to see, and shaving off all their hair) they are disrupting the system that is being forced into the lives of Korean women of all ages, and ultimately inspiring others to reciprocate such acts. 

Thankfully, as a Korean American, I’ve been exposed to a wider range of what beauty can be defined as. However, women who’ve been living in Korea their entire lives have experienced one, single homogenous beauty standard. Establishing the idea that beauty comes from the within can encourage others to find their self-worth through focusing on intangible things like one’s character and attributes. Our often quiet submissiveness of the expectations we have as women in Korea is why our involvement in overcoming the challenge we face is important – we learn that it is a form of ungratifying labor of becoming perfect.