Chun hee-sun, 25, has her version of the ideal look for female lawyers _ a sharp and strong countenance, dressed in sophisticated suit. Before she left for the United states to study law last fall, Chun had plastic surgery on nose and eyelids to get closer to the look. She also played squash for over two years to lose some 20 kilograms dowm to 45 kg gor her 155-centimeter height. " I am satisfied with my appearance now as I have dreamed of, " chun said while visting her home during the spring break. Chem is not unique in desiring a special look and doing something about it.
Last year, the Ministy of Health and Welfare released a report saying 52.5 percent of 1,565 surveyed female collegians had cosmetic surgery at least once. Of the polled, 82.1 percent said they wanted to have more than procedure for cosmetic surgery, including liposuction Around 80 percent had attempted to lose weight with a variety of measures, of which 64 percent were not satisfied with the results although they were in the normal weight range for their bodies. "They said they had surgery to escape from a complex about their appearance and to gaim self-confidence," a MOHW official said. "state of mind is import!ant as beauty lies in the eye of the beholder,:the official added.
But in the eyes of the mass media, where slender but voluptuous females are constantly being featured, people are brainwashed to believe a certain definition of beauty, leading women to be seduced by cosmetic surgery. " Even the media have promoted the notion that veauty is the most import!ant virtue helping them to achieve anthing, while emphasizing the perfectly shaped body and doll-like face." the official said. Taken in by the media's message, teenage girls have also started paying more attention to how they look, and investing time into following the concept, resulting in, sometimes, cosmetic surgery or extreme dieting.
In cooperation with Dongduk Women's University, the ministry has developed an education program to readjust teemage girl' concept of beauty, made up by the media. The program designed after a survey of 420 female students in elementary, middle and high schools, will teach girls to love themselves as they are and feel proud at presenting themselves without feeling they have to change something. the program will help them to acknowledge what triggers the "appearance-is-the-best" notion, how to love themselves and their body and themselves as unique individual beings.
The ministy will receive applications from schools for implementation fo the pilot program. It ahs also published a teacher's guide for the course " A survey in 2002 said 38.7 percent of teenage girls, who wre underweight for their height, thouth they were of normalweight or more. Some 43.6 percent of schoolgirls of mormal weight thought they were fat,"said Kim Hye-sun, an official at t he woman's policy office at the ministy. "We will keep a check on the efficiency of the program and fine-tune it so that it can turn girls into conficent, healthy women," the official, who led the project, said.
But the program for schoolgirls is not enough. It is hard for women to be confident about who they are and how they look as the reality is much crueler. According th online-based hob information provider JobLink, 12.7 percent of 1,754 female office workers surveyed said they were discriminated due to appearances. Min Ji-yeon, 29, said she has attended a beaty clinic to get botox shots, a refined toxic frome the bacterium of botulinum, to remove wrinkles on her face. " I received body care and treatment regularly to apply for a flight attendant job, in addition to studying foreign languages at private institutes," Min said " Appearance is known to be quite import!ant for the job interview. I have to do something to have the job I want."
