When it comes to the world of K-Pop, it’s undeniable that a certain exterior is always expected from K-Pop idols besides being talented. From your weight to your looks, there is brutal pressure on idols from both fans and companies.
In particular, there has always been talk of a “Korean beauty standard” that includes criteria such as a slender body, a small face, a v-shaped chin, pale skin, straight eyebrows, flawless skin, and larger eyes.
American YouTuber and Smosh co-founder Anthony Padilla recently posted a video with Boyfriend’s Jeongmin and former Blady member Tina, now known as Soobin or Christine, with several former and current solo K-Pop idols.
During the video, they discussed the challenges of being an idol, the pressures of education, and much more.
Tina in particular talked about the pressure placed on idols even when she was a trainee. He also discussed the extreme ways that K-Pop companies try to make idols fit this ideal look.
Tina has made it clear that many K-Pop idols use body fillers to alter their appearance in their videos. In particular, she said that companies are asking idols to use padding in certain areas to create that curvy body, but maintain slimness in other areas.
While laser hair removal and plastic surgery are familiar processes in K-Pop, Tina brought up a controversial topic that got a lot of attention: skin color. Many people in Korea consider the standard beauty ideals to be pale, white skin.
For Tina personally, she recalled a time when her own company had a lot of trouble with her complexion and even suggested a method called “white tanning”, among other ways to “brighten” her skin.
I remember at one time, they actually wanted me to do white-tanning. I could do white-tanning or lighten your foundation shade, or you could take these vitamin C shots.
Later, she added that she personally chose to use a light-colored foundation and realized that her facial skin tone did not suit her body. During this time, she was made to feel that she was darker than the other members despite being Korean. He specifically explained that it made him feel like an outcast among idols.
Although it’s not about looks and beauty, Tina explained that blood type is especially important in Korean image. The importance of blood type in Korea is sometimes like the zodiac signs in Western culture.
Blady was meant to stand for “Blood Type-B Girls.” I remember at the time, they asked me what blood type I was, and I was like, ‘I am blood type A.’ Then they were like, ‘Don’t tell anyone your blood type because our concept as a group is blood type B girls.’ I guess blood type-B girls are really chic, confident.
While it may seem extreme in some ways, it’s well known that companies have no restrictions on controlling how an idol looks, especially if they think it will affect the group’s success. You can watch the entire video below:
