In the last couple of classes we have talked about artifacts that relates to our topic. I had several things and ideas that I thought fit the bill. For one I wanted to talk about plastic surgery and how it has become a cultural norm for South Korean. In the US plastic surgery is used more for reconstruction because of an accident or to hide/get rid of a what the person considers a defect. On the other hand there are people who use it for the sole purpose to look more beautiful (cosmetic). In South Korea it used for those purposes but more often to look beautiful than reconstruction. The most common types of plastic surgery tend to be the double eyelid, jaw reduction, eye widening, rhinoplasty, forehead and chin augmentation surgeries. By having these surgeries, Koreans are closer to meeting the ideal beauty type that is emphasized by their media. Their media not only portrays their own actors and singers but also western actors and singers. The influence of western culture has also impacted their beauty industry which causes conflict images of what is considered to be beautiful. Plastic surgery has become part of the Korean culture and grown with it. Today’s children are given gifts of plastic surgery when they graduate middle school and most of them actually use it. They will get their double eyelid surgery or their nose fixed. Because to them, having a small face with double eyelids is attractive as well as being ‘white’. White in the sense that the paler you look, the more beautiful you are. The cheap cost might also be a factor. What can cost you upward of $10,000 in the States may just be under $3000 in South Korea. Just take a look at the contestants for Miss Korea in 2013. Some people believe they all look alike and it is because of plastic surgery.
Another artifact, I would like to bring up is CDs. In today’s digital world, CD’s are going out of style. Its just so much simpler to download the song than to have the CD, or buy the Vinyl version as they are making some sort of comeback. K-Pop fans are full supporters of their artists. They will go to the music shows where they perform, attend show recordings in hopes of cheering on their groups. They also help the artists by buying their albums. Whether its for the hope of getting it signed or to help boost their numbers so that they can win on music shows, fans by their all their albums even if it only has two songs on it (a mini album). The more practical fan would wait until an album is released with more than two songs but others buy them as the artists may release three of four mini albums before releasing a regular full length album. Every time the artist releases a new song (if they aren’t on the same album) a new CD with the song comes out. The CD design will match the concept that the artist is doing for the song and most times there is a card of either one of the the members or in the case of a solo artist the artist them self inside the case. This in turn causes the fans to buy more than one copy of the album in hopes of getting all the different members or their favorite member for groups and all the different poses for a solo artists. The company promoting the artist may also have individual member albums in which each member has their version of the album. The albums themselves are also used as a way to get into show recordings with the artist as the fans must show their copy of the album that is being promoted to participate. The first image below is what a person is likely to encounter when they go to K-Pop store to buy a CD. The second picture reflects the number of albums an artist may have released including mini albums. The third picture reflects Super Junior’s ‘This Is Love’ album that was released as the members’ version.
A third artifact would be fast food delivery. When you think about fast food delivery, you probably think about having pizza or Chinese food delivered to you house. South Korea has taken it one step further. In South Korea just about any type of food can be delivered. From fast food chains like McDonald’s and Burger King to traditional Korean meals, anything you can order can be delivered. This service is included at some restaurants. What they do is hires motorcycle drivers who then take your order and deliver it to you, whether its to your house or a spot by the Han River. If your meal comes with dishes such as plates or bowls, when you’re finished you can leave them outside the door to your resident and the driver will come by an pick it up. It is part of the service and doesn’t cost you anything extra. You can see this service live in many K-dramas for as the characters either work as a driver or orders the food. These services are mostly offered 24/7 and is convenient for those who work irregular hours.
