What Koreans Consider "Fat"

I've always been really shocked at how much emphasis there is on the "standard" of beauty in Korea, especially for women - to be beautiful, you have to have a fist-sized face, a V-line jaw, sang-kka-pull (double eyelids) and a high nose bridge. How can 49 million people be expected to fit this standard when every person looks different? This is one of the reasons why Korea is one of the most plasticized nations in the world. They don't accept that there are different kinds of beauty; just take a look at all the Internet ulzzangs out there and you'll see that they all look the same, right down to the same poses to make their faces look smaller. Walk down a street in Seoul and you'll see tons of beautiful girls - in fact, the plain ones actually stick out (so if you want to garner attention in Korea, be as ugly as possible). A bangin' body is another prerequisite for beauty in Korea. This is a rather universal "requirement", but the kimchi-eating people have taken it to the extremes. For men, this means being lean and having the right amount of muscle. For women, this means being slim, but still having curves. (Does that sound paradoxical to you?) The best way to see these unrealistic standards is to see what Korean men and women consider as "fat". These are the results of a recent survey conducted by some organization related to health and fitness. Prepare to be shocked. First, women consider these celebrities to be fat: Shin Bong Seon I think Shin Bong Seon has an average-sized figure; she just looks a bit chubby because she's on screen and she's comparable to those slim celebrities. Give the woman a break; she's a comedienne, not a supermodel. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Shin Ae I've always thought that Shin Ae had a unique type of beauty; her face is slightly chubby but still pretty, and she's got the right curves. I've seen comments by Korean women saying "If someone with Shin Ae's figure can get someone like Alex, there's hope for the rest of us", and it seriously makes me sick. Solbi Despite her lack of brains, I love Solbi for being confident about her figure. For example, when host Kim Jae Dong asked her "Solbi, have you gained weight?" jokingly, she answered "yes" without being embarrassed at all. Though she's recently shed the pounds, everyone has always considered her to be the "chubby star", there's no way someone of Solbi's stature would be considered "fat" in, let's say, California, which is the fattest state in the U.S.A. (No offense to anyone from CA - I'm just stating the statistics.) However, it gets worse... ...because these are the female celebrities that men consider to be fat: Song Hye Kyo Song Hye Kyo is slightly chubby and very short, which makes her look stumpy compared to other long-legged celebs. However, calling her "fat" is really far-fetched. You'd think that men would cut her some slack for having such a beautiful (and small) face... Kim Tae Hee ...but apparently they don't, because even Kim Tae Hee, who is hailed as the ultimate example of beauty in Korea (she's got all the requirements - tiny face, big eyes, high nose bridge, etc etc), is considered "fat" by men. I was already really surprised at this point - I mean, if anything, Kim Tae Hee is quite skinny - but there were two more shocking revelations in store for me, because men think that... Son Dambi "Crazy" singer Son Dambi, who is known for her long, lean legs and tight body... Lee Hyori ...and Lee Hyori, the sexy dancing diva, are "fat". If a Korean man ever tells you, "I like chubby girls", he's probably refering to his standard, so don't get your hopes up. No wonder the diet and fitness industry is booming in Korea - they have such unrealistic standards! What do you guys think about what Koreans consider "fat"?