Korean fans are outraged after the retouching of several photos of their favorite idols.
All kpop fans know that the photos in magazines, but also the photos posted on the social networks of Korean fans are retouched in order to highlight the artists they show as much as possible.
One of the tradition, which is part of Asian culture, is to retouch the skin tone of idols using “White-washing”, which is an effect that makes the skin of people in photos look whiter.
For kpop fans who are familiar with Korean (and often Asian) culture, they know Koreans, just like Chinese or Japanese, try to have as white skin as possible. This is why they avoid tanning, exposing themselves to the sun to keep the complexion as pale as possible.
This culture of very white skin was also very popular in Europe in the Middle Ages, because it symbolized wealth. Indeed the people living in the castles were very little exposed to the sun behind their walls, while the peasants who worked in the fields were tanned due to the exposure to the sun. But in Europe and elsewhere, things have changed and even turned around. In fact, fashion wants tanned skin to be a sign of wealth and good health. This is still not the case in Asia.
Compared to this, foreign fans are now trying to retouch the photos for posting on their networks trying to make their idols’ skin more natural, which is not to the liking of Korean fans. In the photo above, the photo on the left is posted by Korean fans, and the one on the right by overseas fans.
What displeases Korean fans most is the fact that foreign fans in trying to restore natural skin tone, darken the photo and use a yellow filter, which for them does not give the true appearance of the idol. And this “yellow” filter is very unpleasant because the “racist” connotation emerges in their minds.
KSTATION TV offers you below a photo that we took live, without any retouching.
And here’s a photo provided to us by Pledis Entertainment for SEVENTEEN’s latest comeback:
Cultural differences are numerous all around the world, the important thing is the talent of the artist and the music you listen to. Enjoy doing yourself good by listening to music and/or watching TV shows and MVs.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: KSTATION TV
