Jeon Woo-won's Return Sparks "Handsome" Appearance Praise
Jo Min's Face Revealed, Called "Olivia Hussey"
Instinctive Pursuit of Beauty Combined with Korean Characteristics
Jeon Du-hwan's grandson, Jeon Woo-won, returned to Korea, expressing his intention to apologize to the families of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement victims. Since revealing himself on social networking services (SNS), various incidents have followed, and even his return sparked another episode.
"By the way, doesn't Jeon Woo-won look like a Hong Kong actor?"
"He's even more handsome than actor Yoo Ah-in."
"I don't care who you are... as long as you're handsome"
However, such phenomena are not uncommon. Beyond evaluating the appearances of celebrities and influencers, it has become frequent to praise and evaluate the looks of ordinary people and even criminals.
When Cho Min, daughter of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, opened a social networking service (SNS) account declaring "I will not hide," the public focused on her appearance. Supporters cheered, saying she looked like Olivia Hussey.
Profile photo posted by Cho Min, eldest daughter of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, on her SNS [Photo source=Cho Min Instagram]
When the face of Lee Eun-hae, a suspect in the 2022 'Valley Murder Case,' was revealed, and also in 2004 when 'Ulzzang Robber' Lee Mi-hye was publicly wanted for special robbery, the public praised their appearances and even created fan communities.
The 'notorious escapee' Shin Chang-won also sparked the 'Shin Chang-won Syndrome' with his outstanding fashion sense and looks, and his capture was delayed because women who hid him after his escape protected him.
Is this a unique phenomenon in Korea? The answer is "No." Similar cases can be easily found in other countries.
In Japan, Natsumi Tsuji, who murdered a 12-year-old classmate with a weapon in 2004, became the subject of fan fiction because she was said to resemble a manga character.
In 2018, in China, Qingchen Jingjing, who extorted money from men using her looks, had a fan club established, and many sent messages defending her, saying, "If it were his looks, I would have fallen for it knowingly."
Jeremy Mix, who was convicted in 2014 for possession of firearms and theft during a gang crackdown, received love calls from modeling agencies due to his attractive appearance. He became a successful model and even served as an ambassador for a perfume brand.
Cameron Herrin, who killed a mother and daughter by crashing into a stroller during a car race in 2021, faced demands for leniency after his face was revealed during the trial.
In fact, a 1975 study by Professor Harold Sigall's research team at the University of Maryland found that "college students judged that attractive criminals should serve significantly shorter sentences than unattractive or unknown-looking criminals."
Pursuing beauty is a 'human instinct'
According to a 1987 experiment by Professor Judith Langlois's research team at the University of Texas, even three-month-old infants showed a preference for beauty.
Researchers showed photos of two people to three-month-old infants. Since infants cannot speak, their preference was judged by which photo they looked at longer.
The results showed that the preferences of three-month-old infants were not significantly different from those of adults surveyed earlier.
This suggests that the preference for beauty is innate rather than socially learned.
Beauty also benefits species survival. According to a 2022 study by Professor Nicholas Moke's team at the University of Montpellier, fish species classified as more 'ugly' aesthetically were at risk of extinction.
Ancient philosopher Aristotle also wrote about the influence of appearance, stating, "Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any certificate."
Why do people praise beauty so much?
From an evolutionary psychology perspective, current standards of beauty were advantageous for survival and reproduction in the past.
Physical traits that seem to demonstrate male strength or female fertility have continued to function as standards of beauty.
Experiments have shown that when people see attractive individuals, reward areas related to pleasure, sexual desire, and addiction are activated, while areas involved in negative emotions and judgment are dulled.
The advent of mass media accelerates beauty
The 'pursuit of beauty' has reached extremes with the development of mass media. Praise for appearance is amplified through mass media.
Lookism, which involves prejudice or discrimination based on physical appearance in social contexts, is becoming more prominent.
According to a 2008 paper by Professor Eom Myo-seop of Daegu Catholic University, the emphasis on physical attractiveness in mass media images and the development of the beauty industry form the social basis of lookism.
He stated, "In consumer society, the characteristics of the subject themselves become commodities. The value assigned as a commodity is primarily given to novel and beautiful appearances and attractive looks."
In other words, to 'sell' in mass media, one must maintain an attractive appearance. The attractive images conveyed by mass media are transmitted to the public, who then also pursue attractive appearances. This creates a vicious cycle where, to 'sell' in mass media, one must appear more novel and attractive than the already elevated average appearance.
The 'quagmire' of lookism
Severe lookism causes various side effects.
Claims such as "If you're handsome or pretty, going to prison is a loss, so reduce the sentence or release," "If you're pretty, everything is forgiven," and "Handsome men should be exempt from military service" are examples.
In fact, a 1994 study by Professor Daniel Hamermesh's team at Yale University revealed that "physically attractive people earn higher salaries than those who are not."
Such facts and public reactions can deny other personal abilities or inner growth such as 'duties to be upheld as a human' and convey the message that appearance alone is the highest value.
Also, the attention and importance of significant social discourse related to a person can be diluted, and criminals like Shin Chang-won can be defended, making their capture more difficult.
Excessive pursuit of beautiful appearances also leads to social problems such as a surge in anorexia and plastic surgery addiction patients.
Professor Eom said in his paper, "Mass media richly provides us with visual beauty but simultaneously fascinates us with that beauty, causing us to constantly pursue it. As a result, it can lead us into a kind of obsession and anxiety, so we must take the lead in creating a new visual culture that can free our inner selves more."
He also said, "Furthermore, from a legal perspective, attention should be paid to legislation and sentencing issues to eliminate prejudice and discrimination based on lookism. For proper viewing practices, the media and legal systems should first attempt to show things correctly and honestly."
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