Learn why Job Competition is Creating a Plastic Surgery Demand in South Korea

As recently as 1993, flight attendants from United Airlines reported they were taking extreme measures such as fasting and laxatives to keep a slim figure as well as their jobs. At the time, crew members that weighed more than 11 pounds over the company weight limit received 10 days of unpaid temporary leave. This was reported at the time by the Chicago Tribune.

As the years have passed, rules such as these have been lessened or banned in most of the world. However, women wanting to be flight attendants in South Korea are still reporting significant pressure to look a certain way in order to land a position with an airline.

For example, airlines such as Asiana Airlines and Korean Air have dropped their height stipulation and also softened their language requirements. Even though these requirements have been lessened, those who hope to become flight attendants have told The Korea Herald they feel an unspoken pressure “to be more beautiful” since they would be the image and face of the airline.

Many job applications in South Korea require a photo ID. Because of this stipulation, job applicants feel more pressure to be good looking. A 2016 by Saramin, a Korean online job portal, revealed that more than 60\% of human resource workers say the way applicants look can impact their chances to land a job.

Because of these expectations when it comes to the appearance of a person, the Korean government is looking to overturn rules that require a photo ID as well as ban employers from asking job candidates about information such as their weight, height and family background.

For now, these rules remain in place which means some applicants use photo editing software to enhance their appearance. Young college graduates feel challenges as youth unemployment in South Korea has reached record highs. One dream job for many South Korean women is becoming a flight attendant since it pays $3500 per month. It also viewed as being a “classy” job in South Korea. Landing this occupation is not easy as more than 20,000 applicants apply for a few hundred openings. During the job interview, South Korean airlines grade applicants on their job skills as well as their hair and makeup.

Many applicants feel pressure to be perfect so some of them undergo plastic surgery. There are clinics that offer special packages aimed at flight attendant candidates. For example, Reborn Aesthetic Clinic, in Sinsa, offers a package that includes eyelid surgery, forehead molding, smoother skin, a raised nose bridge and a V-line face shape.

According to the Reborn website, "So many people who dream of stewardess are frustrated. They want to be a stewardess and dream of living in many countries but they are frustrated and must abandon the dream because of their appearance. Those around you will remind you of this. 'You can't do it because you're ugly,' they say cruelly."

For those that are already enrolled in COSEA, a training school for flight attendants in South Korea, there are surgery discounts available to them.  

According to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, the pressure to be beautiful in South Korea is so common that one in five women have undergone a cosmetic surgery procedure. Some surgeons have said that competition is normal in South Korea. They say women with an older appearance will not do as well as others when it comes to looking for a job. In order to succeed in the workforce, women turn to procedures such as a facelift, Botox and other skin rejuvenation treatments. The competition among those seeking a job is so intense that cosmetic surgery is a common high school graduation gift in the country and this is especially true among females graduating high school.

Even though the Korean government is looking to reduce the rules and regulations that allow employers to ask questions that have to do with the appearance of a person, the existing rules are still in place. Because of this fact, the competition for jobs and the desire to have cosmetic surgery to compete in the workforce looks like it will continue, for the time being, in South Korea.

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