Oprah Winfrey's Comments about Korean Women Spark Anger

[krykrykrynunit]

World famous talk show host Oprah Winfrey has sparked a storm by saying Korean women have an obsession with plastic surgery.

During a recent episode of her talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Winfrey was discussing women's image and fashion culture around the world when she disparaged Korean women, saying they have a unique preference from plastic surgery and an inferiority complex in which they would like to have Western features. It also described Korea as a plastic surgery superpower.


Because of this, the Korean-American community is harshly criticizing the program, and fallout is spreading as some Korean expatriate groups demand a public apology.

During the program, in which the images of women from nations like Mexico, Ghana, Brazil, Cuba, Korea, Iraq, the United States, France and Great Britain were compared and analyzed, Winfrey spent about 10 minutes providing information about each country, and invited women from the relevant nations to the studio to talk.

The program dealt with women's rising positions and female culture in each country, like Mexico's bold, stylish fashion, women in society in Ghana and the barriers they face, Cuba's passionate club scene, and the relaxed and confident style of U.S. women.

Yet with Korea, uniquely, the atmosphere of the discussion started with plastic surgery and ended with plastic surgery. In a scene on how women "worship" plastic surgery, the show highlighted the seriousness of the plastic surgery fad in Korean society. Moreover, the show invited to the studio not a Korean, but a Chinese women who claimed Korean women "go under the knife to shed traditional Korean looks for Westernized features."

One Korean student studying in the U.S. said, "The Oprah Winfrey Show is a program with a lot of viewers worldwide, and for it to deal with Korea negatively like this is a big problem. Because of this, I worry if the nation's image won't take a big hit."

Plastic surgery trouble in Korea:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncjYEDSufrM[/media]

source-youtube, asianoffbeat

[krykrykrynunit]

I once had a conversation on msn with a korean girl who lives in Seoul

is it really true about korean celebrities, lots get plastic surgery?

looool.. every korean celeb or korean gurl u would pro'aly meet in korea have done plastic surgery

why they all do that?

there are seriously ALOT of wanna-be's in korea.. and chics put like the craziest make-up.. k.. makes them look pretty.. buh its sooooo fake

n for the girls.. its all about their looks.. ok.. every gurl is about their looks buh then comes to a point.. its crazy~ seriously

gives them more pride when they look all so good.. and u go to this place called kangnam... one of the richest areas of korea.. where alot of plastic surgery is done.. and almost every gurl looks the same.. seriously..

dang
too much american influence

not tht.. they wanna-be like americans... even nowdays... i know some americans here who say korean gurls are cheap
u'll see how couple nowdays are like all over each other... its jus sick cos' they never were so open.. buh oh well

i only believe in plastic surgery if its really needed

yep.. for me as well.. koreans do alot for their eyes.. u know the eye lids.. and nose and shaping their cheeks and doing all these clinical stuff for face..





I'm in blue
her txt is black

[angelicdevil]

^ i wish i had a korean friend...

anyways i did watch the oprah show at one time where she invited a woman (definitely asian-american..but not sure if she was exactly korean) n dat woman spoke bout how asian women wanted to get those folds in the eyelid~~

so i guess for oprah plastic surgery + asian women is a big n interesting issue...=p

[gg.heato]

im not korean but im outraged by oprah's comment. korean women are not obsessed...... they just like it. Not all of them. it should be more like many women like plastic surgery and in that group of women, there are some koreans.

[vagabond888]

I think Oprah states the truth....Koreans are prevalent with this kind of thing....and I don't think Oprah is making faulty defamation.

[WinkWinklove]

It's always been a known fact in asia compared to the rest of it (china, japan etc etc) that the demand for plastic surgery has risen and quite a few korean woman like a bit of a touch up here and there, but i do know that not "everyone" in korea has something done because my korean friends sure as hell haven't.

[antonio2501]

i think its true in korea... i heard from my friend's girlfriend, absolutely a korean girl... she said they got plastic surgery for their 17th birthday

[yutake]

But, I think Oprah definitely shouldn't have state the reason why Korean women does plastic surgery in that way.
Hello...! Korean men does that as well.
They don't "worship" plastic surgery.
It is so wrong to say that.

How low can you be ? Not inviting a Korean woman to talk on behalf of a Korean women but, a Chinese woman ?
How stupid can you be ? That is so offensive !!
I'm guessing they could only get a Chinese woman after failing to get a Korean woman to come over to their show.
Anyway, who would wanna come to a show in which you'll be discriminated or being offended ??!! I wouldn't wanna go as well.

It is true that not all Korean women does plastic surgery.
If it is part of their culture to do plastic surgery, then what's wrong with it ?
Who wouldn't feel good 'n more confident if they're more beautiful with plastic surgery ?

I believe Oprah owes all Korean women an apology 'n she better do it good !

[Evenstar1389]

It's a common opinion where i live that a lot of korean girls do plastic surgery, especially on their double eyelids, u can tell if they have had plastic surgery by their eyes, coz a trademark korean look is small eyes single eyelids (look at Park Ji Sung of ManchesterUnited)

But Oprah shouldnt have touched on a sensitive issue, especially by going about it in a really wrong way, chinese woman (who doesnt represent korea at all) and by saying 'all of them'. We can also say that some americans go for boob jobs too..

[vagabond888]

a trademark korean look is small eyes single eyelids (look at Park Ji Sung of ManchesterUnited)

LOlx....nice quote....I agreed Park is a typical Korean look.

[DEPTHSING]

hm. it's true that s korea is known for it's plastic surgery skills the world over. however, while it's true majority of koreans goes for plastic surgery, hell lots of foreigners also travel to SK to get sum plastic surgery done, esp asians.

there's an impression to the world that nearly all female koreans goes for plastic surgery is that cuz of its idiols. most of these idiols often has a bit of plastic surgery done on their face and the media tends to exaggerate till it seems that the faces of all female koreans seems to have one part made in plastic.

[asay]

Its a talk show....... she's suppose to make controversial comments like that in order to sell magazines and increase her profile.

Fact of the matter is majority of korean society will go under the knife to correct their imperfections and Oprah only stated her opinion. Sure its negative but its the truth.

Why didnt they get a korean woman on the show to explain things, most likely no-one the producers/staff contacted would agree to it. I mean seriously if you were a korean who had plastic surgery done, would you goto the Oprah show to explain to the world why you had it done? As far as I know most asian women who have had plastic surgery done wont show it off, instead they try to hide it and shrug it off as aging or some other natural way.
Also most Koreans know that if they say something stupid/negative about their home country then they will be liable to some strict punishment when they get back home. Yes korean laws are shithouse.

[chips527]

The reason they probably got all offended like that is probably because they know its true. Since they can't deny, only thing left is the get angry.

[sanguinarykhoa]

Haha... As far as I know, a lot of my Korean friends in the US also like to go back to Korea to get plastic surgery. It's so different how they all want to get pretty so desperately.

[ButIlikeTofu]

Lol..
I gave up in giving a shiz about this issue.
Since everyone has a bad opinion. and as soon as they see a pretty korean girl in hong kong, they ask about plastic surgery.

(I'm korean, and its quite amazing how much racist things people have against us, despite we having no problem with the rest of the world o_O)

this issue is over-used and tiring.
>__>
I'll tell you one thing.

I have never taken plastic surgery in my whole life and nor do I plan to.
Also, all the korean girls i know have a bad impression of plastic surgery. I do not know any single person who has taken plastic surgery personally and we don't like it when we hear about famous people who do it..

So I guess I just proved a theory wrong eh? ^^;


as for Oprah's show. Its just business. As Justina says, she had to bring out a controversial issue. (thank you for at least saying its controversial, not subjective)

But...although I'm too used to it to be offended.. It still makes me sort of sad that : ( because of these media, people are going to start judging every single korean girl.


If it makes any of you guys happier:

Yes. You all are much prettier than the majority of us. So please, stop talking about this subject. It's so boring.