Colourism in modern South Korea as a cultural phenomenon

During summer on the streets, (mostly) young women are covered as much as it is possible, so they won’t tan. Whitening cosmetic products and surgeries are advertised on every single vertical surface. Lightened photos of celebrities, thick layers of foundation that are a few shades lighter than the person’s actual skin tone and bullying in schools. There can be multiple reasons why the society of South Korea (and most Asian countries) thinks that whiter skin is more attractive. It could come from the country’s history as in the past, skin colour represented social status as “elites and aristocrats who were educated were imagined to stay indoors reading and studying, and thus had lighter skin; on the other hand, commoners and servants who were uneducated worked out in the sun, labouring outdoors.” (Kim 2020, p. 83) <a href="https://medium.com/new-writers-welcome/colourism-in-modern-south-korea-as-a-cultural-phenomenon-e2da9af71e6f">Website</a>