The Koreans of South Korea - Democratic & Developed State, southern Korean Peninsula

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Names -

South Koreans call Koreans Han-guk-in (한국인; 韓國人)—or simply 한인/Han-in for South Koreans living abroad—or informally Hanguk saram (한국 사람; 韓國 사람), while North Koreans call Koreans Chosŏn-in (조선인; 朝鮮人) or Chosŏn saram (조선 사람; 朝鮮 사람). See Names of Korea, Korean romanization, Hangul (한글) and Hanja (한자).

South Korean Demographics -

South Korea is noted for its population density, which at 487 per square kilometer is more than 10 times the global average. Most South Koreans live in urban areas, due to rapid migration from the countryside during the country's quick economic expansion in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The capital city of Seoul is also the country's largest city and chief industrial center. According to 2005 census, Seoul had a population of 9.8 million inhabitants. The Seoul National Capital Area has 24.5 million inhabitants making it the world's second largest metropolitan area. Other major cities include Busan (3.5 million), Incheon (2.5 million), Daegu (2.5 million), Daejeon (1.4 million), Gwangju (1.4 million) and Ulsan (1 million).

The population has also been shaped by international migration. Following the division of the Korean peninsula after World War II, about four million people from North Korea crossed the border to South Korea. This trend of net entry reversed over the next forty years due to emigration, especially to the United States and Canada. South Korea’s total population in 1960 was 25 million. The current population of South Korea is roughly 49,540,000.

South Korea is a homogeneous society with an absolute majority of the population of Korean ethnicity. Although small, the percentage of non-Koreans has been increasing. South Korea had 1,106,884 foreign residents, more than double the 2006 total. Migrants from the People's Republic of China (PRC) make up 56.5% of the total; however, many of them are Joseonjok, PRC citizens of Korean ethnicity. The roughly 33,000 Mongolian immigrants are believed to be the largest community of Mongolian citizens residing abroad. Another notable group is women from Southeast Asia who comprised 41% of new marriages with Korean farmers in 2006. There are also 31,000 US military personnel. In addition, about 43,000 English teachers from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa temporarily reside in Korea.

South Korea's birthrate is the world's lowest. If this continues, its population is expected to decrease by 13 percent to 42.3 million in 2050, South Korea's annual birthrate is approximately 9 births per 1000 people. The average Life expectancy in 2008 was 79.10 years, which is 40th in the world.

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[Agrippa]

Some very progressive, attractive and/or interesting faces.

Does anybody know how common it is for Korean women to alter their eyeshape surgically?

I just wondered if looking at some, whethere this is just a positive selection for the models in particular, or whether they used some help to enlarge the eyes...

[Moonbird]

Some very progressive, attractive and/or interesting faces.

Does anybody know how common it is for Korean women to alter their eyeshape surgically?

I just wondered if looking at some, whethere this is just a positive selection for the models in particular, or whether they used some help to enlarge the eyes...

Eye surgery is very common in South Korea. These models have probably all had their eyes done.

South Koreans and Plastic Surgery: A Sick Obsession

Plastic surgery is always a personal decision, reflecting the need for improvements in self-esteem and body image. For South Korean girls, it is something else that is much deeper than just a “desire to look better.” It borders on obsession.

Even as recently as five years ago, cosmetic surgery was something to be dealt with privately, as for many it was embarrassing. Now you can forget about that as for some girls like the one pictured below, it is a matter of pride to show the world pictures of her surgery on the net.

For South Korean teenage girls, the primary target of change is their eyes. Having big eyes is every teen’s dream and it can become a reality via a simple $800 operation in which a small incision is made above the eye to create an artificial double lid.

Kids as young as 14 are opting for the surgery, and what have come to be known as “eye jobs” have become a favorite graduation gift from parents.

During the winter months when high school seniors are on vacation preparing for either college or the work place, the clinics are at their busiest. Moat of the surgeries requested are for the eyelids, but nose jobs are also becoming popular among the teen population.

“Teenagers are plastic surgery experts. They tell the doctor, using scientific words, which surgery method to use. But despite the medical knowledge they bring to the clinics, many teens still show their age,” says Dr. Lee Min Ku, a Seoul surgeon whose patients are mostly in their teens or 20s.

There is another painful aspect to this plastic surgery phenomenon. The emphasis on looks is fine, but the silent acceptance of a “racially inferior” look is not. The fear of falling behind and not being able to compete unless they have themselves remade is a sad commentary on a generation of teenagers.

“Parents make their kids get plastic surgery, just like they make them study. They realize looks are important for success,” says Dr. Shim Hyung Bo, a Seoul plastic surgeon.

For teenagers in South Korea today, getting their eyes done is a lot easier than getting the keys to their parents’ car.

What do YOU think about this?

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/08...ick-obsession/

[Agrippa]

Well, Mongolid epicanthis folds can look attractive too, but mainly when being not extreme and the eyes are still large, so that's an understandable trend for the more extreme eye variants among them, similar to the "hair issue" of Negroids, though the latter is almost universally less attractive, Mongolid eyes can be this or that, depending on the exact shape...

[Queen B]

Some very progressive, attractive and/or interesting faces.

Does anybody know how common it is for Korean women to alter their eyeshape surgically?

I just wondered if looking at some, whethere this is just a positive selection for the models in particular, or whether they used some help to enlarge the eyes...

In celebrities/models, the ''double eyelid'' surgery (or tips to temporary make it ) are very very common.
And NOT only for Korean women but for Korean mean as well.

Some more examples (they are celebrities) :

[Jerry]

안녕하세요!

I've l´lived in Seoul. Actually not that long since I got back. South-Korea is a great country, I really enjoyed my time there! Some negative things, but a lot of good.

And, yes, plastic surgery is very common among women in Seoul...

If somebody is interested in something about Korea, I can try to help