Literature Application by Celia Yu

Analyzing Epstein’s and Joo’s Definition of Korean Beauty with Bak Jaebeom

South Korean beauty standards are expressed and reinforced through the country’s “media-saturated, consumer capitalist culture” (Epstein and Joo 2012: 1). Based on Epstein’s and Joo’s analysis of Korean beauty, Bak Jaebeom's physical appearance as hybrid of different cultures has the power to pave a path towards a new standard of Korean male beauty.

Bak Jaebeom’s music is regarded as a unique blend of Western and Korean hip-hop music styles. In addition to his music, his appearance is a major representation of his American background. This background has allowed for him understand what beauty is in two completely different regions, and his body is a perfect representation of the hybridity of both Western and Korean beauty standards. His physique combines “highly defined abdominal muscles and chiseled arms” that are popular in Korean media with prominent chest and arm tattoos that are common within American hip-hop culture (Ibid., 4). Bak Jaebeom’s openness to discussing his appearance in interviews and online documentaries has not only received positive feedback from viewers, but he has begun to open up the conversation of whether Korean male beauty should be redefined or not. His willingness to speak up about his tattoos highlight and celebrate the importance of positive self-expression rather than just focusing on imitating the styles of others. His physical appearance is proof that an idol does not have to conform with mainstream beauty standards to be regarded as masculine. Instead, Bak Jaebeom expresses through his actions that the concept of beauty is defined from within and can be expressed in a multitude of ways.

Although Korean beauty standards are “widely acknowledged levels of social competitiveness to produce growing demands for physical perfection” (Ibid., 1), Bak Jaebeom has the ability to use his unique physique hybridity in order to enact change within Korean beauty norms.

Bibliography

Epstein, Stephen and Rachael M. Joo. “Multiple Exposures: Korean Bodies and the Transnational Imagination.” The Asia-Pacific Journal 10, no. 33 (2012): 1-24.