Discomfort Expressed Over "Completely White" Mention... Obsession with Porcelain Skin 'Baeksulgongju Syndrome' [Dito Society]

(11) White Skin as a Beauty Standard?
Dark Skin Can Be a Complex... Negative Impact During Adolescence
'Colorism', Preference for Lighter Skin Within the Same Ethnicity

Editor's NoteThe Seoul National University Consumer Trend Analysis Center selected 'Ditto consumption' as one of the top 10 keywords for 2024. Ditto, derived from the Latin word meaning 'the same,' refers to the tendency to follow celebrities' tastes and trends exactly when purchasing products or consuming content. This article analyzes the blind 'Ditto' phenomena in Korean society, such as the lowering age of luxury consumption and the increasing trend-following investments.

In Korean society, fair skin is considered one of the standards of beauty. Many people desire bright and flawless skin like celebrities, leading to high demand for whitening-related treatments at dermatology clinics, and some individuals feel complexed about their skin if it is not fair. Despite the recent strong support for body positivity, concerns have been raised about the persistence of this trend.

The admiration for fair skin in Korea has sparked controversy multiple times. Some idols like aespa's Winter and ITZY's Chaeryeong become topics of discussion regarding their skin color whenever airport photos are released, drawing sharp criticism from overseas K-pop fans. In the 2022 Netflix-produced dating show "Single's Inferno," several contestants repeatedly commented on one participant's skin color, saying things like "completely white" and "pure white," which caused controversy. Overseas viewers expressed discomfort over such blatant remarks about skin color.

Of course, it is pointed out that the preference for fair skin in Korea is far from white worship or racism. Since in agrarian societies fair skin symbolized a high social status due to not having to work outdoors for long hours, it naturally became a standard of beauty in Korea as well.

aespa Winter. [Image source=Social Networking Service (SNS) capture]

The admiration for fair skin naturally leads to demand in the cosmetics industry and dermatology clinics. Cosmetic companies hire influential celebrities or influencers to advertise tone-up creams, claiming they can create naturally fair skin. Dermatology clinics introduce white tanning treatments as the secret to celebrities' fair skin or promote high-dose vitamin injections under names like 'Baekok Injection' or 'Milk Skin Injection.' However, some experts point out that dramatically changing one's original skin color is difficult, and most treatments only help restore the original skin condition or provide anti-aging benefits.

The problem is that this phenomenon leads to negative perceptions of darker skin. Actresses Seolhyun and Kim Sejeong have revealed in past interviews that they felt complexed about their dark skin and had to always carry tone-up creams or light-colored cosmetics. Some express concern that a standardized beauty ideal could also affect adolescents during their identity-forming years.

This is not a phenomenon unique to Korea. Similar 'colorism' occurs in other Asian countries, where lighter skin is preferred despite being the same ethnicity. In India, lighter skin is often associated with being handsome or beautiful or having higher social status, a phenomenon referred to as the 'Snow White Syndrome.'

A similar trend appears in neighboring Indonesia, where three years ago, then-President Joko Widodo pointed out this issue. President Widodo criticized that after over three centuries of Dutch colonial rule, Indonesians internalized low self-esteem and consequently denied their natural skin color, urging the need to "break free from colonial mindsets."