Ye-Rin Jung

First Year Writing

Professor Enos
Context note: This is a social commentary on the controversy of the
double eyelid surgery, as Koreans and Asians in general are criticized for
making themselves look less Asian. The targeted audience is the
misinformed western people, as the aim of this commentary is to educate
them about this issue.
The South Korean Complex
What did you think of straight away when I mentioned South Korea?
Many people think of K-pop and bulgogi (Korean barbecue), but
South Korea is most notorious for its plastic surgery skills especially in
blepharoplasty or most commonly known as the double eyelid surgery. It
was reported in 2014 by the International Society Of Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery that 1.43 million people got work done in Korea and this number
keeps growing just as the criticisms keep flowing. There have been many
documentaries and articles exploring this side of the country and all of
them conclude that there must be something inherently wrong with our
culture for promoting such an unhealthy outlook on beauty standards. But
let me stop you right there. It is very easy for people outside of Korea to
look on from the exterior and judge them for being too superficial or pity
them for not accepting themselves for their true self. This is just another
example of western condescending attitude that Asians are tired of. The
latest example of this is from an article of Business Insider The most
popular plastic surgery operation in South Korea has a controversial past,
as Tech Insider Drake Baer explores the origin of the double-eyelid surgery,
making it a racial issue as this movement started during the Korean War
for Korean women who wanted to look more western to fit in. That may

Ye-Rin Jung
First Year Writing
Professor Enos
have been a valid argument in the 1950s but to suggest that this is still
the case is preposterous, as Koreans have come so far since then.

Koreans no longer need to copy the looks of others, as they are now
setting their own trends and this is because they can now afford to do so.
Ever since the Korean War, South Koreans have fought tooth and nails to
rebuild their nation (quite literally). The country underwent a monumental
economic transformation in an unbelievable short amount of time
influenced by smart policy reforms and a heavy investment in education.
These changes made South Korea the 11th largest economy with a very
competitive educational system that OECD ranked 3rd best in the world for
maths and sciences in 2015. Having accomplished these achievements,
South Korea is constantly looking for other means of world domination and
a major factor in this are the K-pop stars as they quickly have become the
countrys biggest export equaling to more than 180 million dollars. Defined
by their synchronized dance, upbeat music, and clone-like looks K-pop
stars like 2NE1 are considered to be fashion icons and models of beauty.
Their confessions of having gone under the knife themselves propelled the
success of the plastic surgery industry, making the majority of Koreans
look more like robotic dance machines but the procedures did not make
any of them look any less Asian, as their eyes are still almond shaped.
Many still opt for the double eyelid surgery to make their eyes look bigger,
which effectively reduces the droopy look effect: an issue that concerns
many people in and out of South Korea.

Ye-Rin Jung
First Year Writing
Professor Enos

(2NE1 K-Pop Group)

This obsession with big eyes is not just an Asian thing. One of the
main attractions to anime characters in mangas and cartoons like Astro
Boy and Betty Boop is the doe-eyed look, as the large eyes make the
characters look more innocent and youthful (two traits that are most
sought after universally). People all over the world strive to have the
appearance of larger eyes for those same reasons; they want to look cuter
and younger and they achieve this either with a mascara wand or with
more extreme measures.

Ye-Rin Jung
First Year Writing
Professor Enos
(Betty Boop and Astro Boy)

However, the procedure itself is no longer considered to be an extreme

measure because most double eyelid surgeries do not even involve
incision anymore. While in the past there were some major risks involved
in going under the knife, nowadays it is a simple procedure that only
involves inserting a tiny piece of silicone pinching a corner of the eyes to
create a crease. With the development of technology, South Korea has
mastered the art of plastic surgery.

So, why should Asians be judged for wanting bigger eyes? It doesnt
help that Asians themselves think of plastic surgery as a means to look
less Asian. American television personality Julie Chen revealed on the
show The Talk that she had double eyelid surgery to look less Chinese in
order to advance her career. She confessed on national television that her
motivation behind the surgery was because her dreams of becoming an
anchor at 25 years old were shattered by a racist boss, as he told her point
blank that she would never be in the anchor desk because of her Asian
eyes. He proceeded with this outrageous rambling: I've noticed that when
you're on camera, when you're interviewing someone you look
disinterested and bored because your eyes are so heavy, they are so
small. Julie Chen did not regret undergoing the double eyelid surgery,
because using her own words: after I had it done, the ball did roll for me".

Ye-Rin Jung
First Year Writing
Professor Enos
This kind of talk poisons the well for the rest of us because it further
solidifies the idea that a double eyelid is an absolute western physical
characteristic that has been imposed on the rest of us. And now, its
practically impossible to challenge the very concept as it has been
ingrained within us over centuries. Like Julie Chen, many Asians (who dont
naturally have the double eyelids yes, some Asians do have them
naturally) have the double eyelid surgery for all the wrong reasons and
perpetuate this vicious racist cycle. It is because of people like Julie Chen
that white people like writer for Business Insider Drake Baer feel justified
to bring up the racial issue in the double eyelid surgery.

(Julie Chen)
It is hard enough for Koreans to find an individualistic identity after the
Japanese Colonial rule, and a war that is still dividing the nation. Thus,
they should not be judged for their use of plastic surgery by western
standards.

Ye-Rin Jung
First Year Writing
Professor Enos

So, how can YOU alleviate the South Korean complex? There is no
easy answer, but like most issues, education is a crucial component to the
solution. If you have Asian friends, ask their opinions about this issue, and
do your own research. Stop judging other people based off on your biases
and re-define your standards of beauty separately from race. Big eyes with
double eyelids do not mean white power; their meanings are open to
interpretation because the power should lie within all of us to define them
for ourselves. It is partially your responsibility to lead the way for younger
generations to re-define their perspectives on beauty, race, and power
among many other things. So, no pressure.

Ye-Rin Jung
First Year Writing
Professor Enos

Work Cited:
Baer, Drake. "The Most Popular Plastic Surgery Operation in South Korea
Has a Controversial past." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 06 Oct.
2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.
Guest, Julie. "Global Survey Released by ISAPS Reports Increase of Over
One Million Cosmetic and Aesthetic Procedures Performed in 2015." ISAPS
Global Survey Press Release (n.d.): n. pag. International Society of
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. ISAPS, 25 July 2015. Web. 5 Nov. 2016.
2NE1. Digital image. Google. N.p., n.d. Web.
Betty Boop And Astro Boy. Digital image. Google. N.p., n.d. Web.
Julie Chen Eyes. Digital image. Google. N.p., n.d. Web.
Filipinos4Islanders. "Julie Chen Double Eyelid The Talk." YouTube. YouTube,
11 Sept. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2016.