Escape the Corset

BY SASHA STOGNIY – South Korea has the highest per capita rate of plastic surgery in the world, with 20 cosmetic surgical procedures performed every 1000 citizens. Its capital city, Seoul, is the plastic surgery capital of the world, with over 500 plastic surgery clinics lining the streets of its affluent Gangnam district alone. It is estimated that one out of every three South Korean young women (ages 19 to 29) has undergone some type of cosmetic enhancement procedure. Why is plastic surgery so popular in South Korea? 

One explanation is that harsh beauty ideals, especially for women, are culturally ingrained and socially normalized. Makeup is seen as a necessary part of life, and plastic surgery is seen as a natural extension of makeup. Indeed, with Korean 10-step skincare routines gaining popularity on a global stage and plastic surgery clinic advertisements lining the walls of public spaces like subway stations, it is not difficult to see why people would choose to undergo elective cosmetic enhancement surgeries. 

Many women in South Korea have taken to rebelling against these unforgiving beauty standards through a movement called “Escape the Corset.” Loosely inspired by the “Me Too” movement popularized in the US, “Escape the Corset” is likewise a defiance of socially ingrained patriarchal standards. Participating women cut their hair short, refuse to wear makeup, dress in more masculine or gender-neutral styles, and overall reject the performative nature associated with femininity. This allows them to define their own identity outside of their physical appearance and escape the rigid standards of perfection they are socialized to strive for. 

One such activist is Lina Bae, a beauty guru from Korea specializing in makeup tutorials, whose video “I am not pretty,” went viral last year. In it, Bae applies her makeup as usual while rude remarks about her natural appearance from past comments are displayed onscreen. These comments painstakingly point out her physical flaws and urge her to put on more makeup or even have plastic surgery to correct them. As soon as Bae is finished with putting on the final touches of her look, the disparaging remarks stop – but only for a moment. Then, they return with a vengeance, now deriding her for wearing too much makeup or for trying too hard. The video demonstrates the double-edged sword dilemma of beauty standards – perfection can never be attained. 

Bae ends her video on a happy note: “I am not pretty. But it is fine.” This encapsulates the message of the “Escape the Corset” movement. Women, and people in general, should not feel obligated to invest copious amounts of effort into their appearance just to feel normal. Beauty should not be a requirement. It should not have a bearing on a person’s identity. 

For Bae and the many other women “escaping the corset,” it is liberating to not have to think about how their physical appearance is being perceived by others. It gives them peace of mind and allows them to focus more on their interests and personal development. The movement is highly individualized and stretches across many forms of traditional beauty measurements – clothing, hairstyles, makeup – and even cosmetic procedures. 

Perhaps with the rise of “Escape the Corset” and other empowerment movements, demand for cosmetic plastic surgery in South Korea will die down as women begin to feel more confident with their appearance.

Photography Source: http://shhsaccolade.com/wp/news/escape-the-corset-koreans-push-back/