A Korean proverb says: “The man who has the most beautiful woman of the village also has the most restless sleep.” Judging by this, the male population of South Korea is in great need of valium. Because for almost all women in South Korea, beauty is the key to a happy life.
Korea is surrounded by three oceans: the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. The Koreans prefer to call the latter one “East Sea” in order to put one over their neighbour, Japan. South Korea’s landscape is dominated by mountains, hills and forests. In summer, plenty of rafting enthusiasts can be found at the wild rivers, whereas from November to April, enthusiastic skiers and snowboarders populate the numerous ski resorts around Seoul. It is reminiscent of Central Europe. And yet, it is totally different …
About 50 million people live in South Korea, 20 million of them in and around the capital Seoul. Battered by the civil war of the 1950s with neighbour North Korea, South Korea was once an impoverished agricultural state. Today, it has developed into one of the world’s most significant economies, championing brands such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai. The per-capita income corresponds roughly to that of an EU country – with an upward tendency. Surprisingly, a good half of the female population has a job. In Seoul alone, there are five universities just for women. Yet even though the supposedly weaker sex behaves more and more confidently, the traditional role of women is still considered to be the home and the family. Young women who are still unmarried at the age of 27 may even be given a helping hand. In so-called Booking Clubs, the waitress doesn’t just bring the rice schnapps “Soju” to the table, but on request also a potential husband. “Still, Korean girls hardly seek an adventure”, tells Grit Haedicke who studies Economics in South Korea. “They all still believe in true love.“
Beauty at any cost
To impress the opposite sex, South Korean women don’t conceal their charms – especially not those lower down. Regardless of whether it’s summer or winter, women display as much leg as possible and mostly prefer to wear miniskirts, shorts or very short dresses. “Most Korean girls have beautiful, slim and straight legs”, raves fashion blogger Miu Nguyen. “On top, however, they prefer a more covered look, which means that even in summer they’d rather not wear shoulder-free or low-cut tops.” It’s mostly the young people who spend money on clothes. An interesting fact is that the country’s youth is not shopping at the large department store chains such as Mango, H&M or Zara, but in individual boutiques by no-name designers, where they hope to find original pieces.
By the way: Traditional clothes with flower prints, or kimonos are now very hard to find. These days, Korean fashion is rather playful with a hint of elegance. The latest fashion trends can be found here, for example at the “Korea Style Week“, which takes place every January in the now world famous Seoul suburb of Gangnam. Both Indie designers and big labels walk down the catwalk here. Retailers in Germany have realised that South Korea is a promising location for fashion. “We can imagine expanding into new markets”, says Karl-Heinz Müller, head of the currently Berlin-based fashion show Bread and Butter. “We’re currently evaluating Korea. Seoul is an important hub in Asia – excited about fashion, technologically minded, and: everybody likes Koreans.”
Music determines what is beautiful
The typical Korean girl would love to look like a little girl, or like one of the heroines of the popular Manga comics. Therefore, skinny skirts with loose shirts, or hoodies and miniskirts with knee-length socks, reminiscent of the national school uniforms, are in fashion. It’s a must that they are worn with long hair and nerdy glasses, which are supposed to achieve one thing: big eyes.
The music industry has a massive influence on which look is currently hot. Think “K-Pop”. Someone who wants to land a number one hit doesn’t necessarily have to be able to sing well, but they have to look great. Bernie Cho, one of the most successful singers in the industry, explains the phenomenon like this: “K-Pop is a very visual music genre. Its appeal lies not only in the sound, but mostly in the video clips that are sexy or just funny.” It’s especially the stars of the K-Pop scene who dictate what is considered beautiful in the country. Curiously, the singer Psy has satirised this fact in his cult hit song “Gangnam Style” which makes a mockery of exactly this urban decadence. The song has made him arguably the most important ambassador of Korean pop culture. Even though his round face doesn’t fit the beauty ideal of his compatriots, which besides a narrow-shaped face essentially features a high nose, large eyes and white skin.
What does not fit, is made to fit
In order to match this mostly Western-orientated beauty model, Koreans don’t stop short of extreme methods. Plastic surgeons are often consulted when appearance matters. At least 15 percent of South Korean women have already been under the knife to get closer to the European ‘ideal’. With close to 700,000 operations annually, the republic is the unmatched world record holder. It’s not unusual, for instance, to be given a Botox treatment, eye enlargement surgery or skin whitening as a gift for completing high school, instead of a car.
Again, K-Pop bands like Girl’s Generation or 21 set the tone. It’s not openly talked about, but everybody knows that many surgical interventions were needed for the majority of the artists to become stars. “Beauty clinics work closely with the entertainment industry,” explains Professor of Art Eung Jong. “They take beautiful people from the clinics and place them in TV shows and bands. People then want to look like them and decide to have surgery.” Not least because they’re hoping to increase their chances in the job or marriage market. Imposing placards with ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of women who have undergone successful plastic surgery advertise in Seoul with slogans like “Everybody’s done it. Except you.”
The currently most skewed beauty trend in South Korea is called “aegyo sal” – “the smiling eye”. Behind it is the desire to have bags under one’s eyes. Those who don’t have any naturally, which is usual for the Asian physiognomy, can create artificial ones. As many women don’t have the money for plastic surgery, they give nature a lift with skilfully applied make up, or with especially designed eye tapes. Self-proclaimed make-up artists demonstrate in various YouTube videos first-hand how to apply them correctly.
There is also a gentle way
HYPOXI aims to create a counter trend to such radical methods, also in the Far East. In late 2012, the first HYPOXI-Studio was opened in the financial centre of the elegant Seoul district of Gangnam. It was founded by Chul Huh, a businessman who has successfully sold home gym equipment for 25 years. The combination of sport and health was not new to him.
The studio, whose target audience are mainly local business women, quickly became a success. Due to the high demand, Huh founded a second branch in Seoul only one year later, this time a significantly bigger HYPOXI-Studio in Chungdam-Dong. It’s surrounded by exclusive restaurants and designer shops, next door to labels like Armani, MCM and Givenchy. The clientele, who is being treated to the HYPOXI-Method on 300 luxurious square metres by a team of experienced coaches and nutrition experts, has high expectations. “Our target group are wealthy middle-aged women as well as models and celebrities”, explains the studio owner Chul Huh. “Apart from professional training guidance, we place a lot of value on discretion and privacy.”
It’s not only the numerous clients who are excited about the progress that they are making with their body shaping thanks to HYPOXI. One of South Korea’s most famous gynaecologists, Mr. Kwon O-jong, is praising it as well. “At first I found it hard to believe that there could be a method that would so easily and gently break down body fat”, he recalls. “Now I’ve learnt all about the principle and the results. HYPOXI is in fact the only way to get rid of unwanted fat at the problem zones in a targeted and risk-free way. HYPOXI is safe, easy and effective.”
The triumphal procession of HYPOXI cannot be stopped: Only recently another HYPOXI-Studio was opened inside the famous mall of Hyundai Department Store in Jungdong and with the first franchise studio location in Ulsan – the important harbour in the eastern part of the country – the initial step outside the metropolitan area of Seoul is done. The only problem with the beautifully shaped female bodies: South Korean men will continue to have restless sleeps …