Name: How South Koreas cosmetic industry drives career success
Uploaded: 2026-01-02T15:02:52.413Z
Duration: 4 min 51 s
Description: In South Korea, beauty can be as decisive as talent. From plastic surgery to photo-edited CVs, appearance often determines career prospects.

In South Korea, beauty can be as decisive as talent. From plastic surgery to photo-edited CVs, appearance often determines career prospects.

Seoul

South Korea's cosmetic industry plays a significant role in shaping career opportunities, with many young people seeking facial enhancements and professional photo retouching to improve their job prospects. Clinics in districts like Gangnam and Hongdae offer a range of services, and advertisements for the 'perfect face' are widespread, often targeting students and job seekers.

Despite a growing feminist movement resisting strict beauty standards, societal pressure to conform remains strong, with most organizations still requiring CV photos and some recruiters hiring based on appearance. As the industry continues to expand, questions persist about whether it fosters opportunity or exacerbates inequality.

How South Korea's cosmetic industry drives career success

Chungkyung Park is an aesthetic doctor who's represented South Korea at international beauty pageants. And as the director of his skincare clinic in Seoul, he knows just how important his appearance is for bringing in business. Usually male clients ask about things like jawline, since I have a relatively defined jawline, or about skin tone. Since I have fair skin, they often ask how they can achieve brighter skin. With hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, he says young patients often reach out hoping that minor facial enhancements will help improve their economic prospects. Patients like Madison. One year ago, I got a lot of laser treatment, and then also like cheek Botox, that made my face look more slim. And then after that, I think I became more confident, and my skin looks more healthy and white and glowy. Based on that, I work more confidently, and I earn a lot than previous income. Dr. Park's clinic is in Gangnam, a district with over 400 cosmetic and plastic surgery centers in a single square mile, where intense competition drives prices down. Advertisements for a quote-unquote perfect face follow you everywhere, from skyscrapers to storefronts and buses. Some even target students specifically, offering job interview preparation packages. At Oowa Clinic, one of the country's most prestigious facilities, demand nationally and internationally is so high the operation spans multiple floors. Two dermatology floors, one, two, three, four. Rhinoplasties start at 3,500 US dollars, half of the price in the States. Oowa's CEO and head surgeon Dr. Kim Woo-jung sees cosmetic treatments as a social tool. In Korea, appearance is an important part of society, and many consider it a form of social competitiveness. So before choosing a job or going into interviews, they often undergo procedures to create a better impression. Clinics like these help to sell the idea that a polished look can open doors professionally. And across the river in Hongdae, a university district, students and recent graduates are beginning to learn how to navigate these societal expectations. Studies show that some recruiters in South Korea do still hire based on appearance. And most organizations across the country do still require a CV photo. Now that pressure, especially for young people to look a certain way, has given rise to businesses like this one. This is effectively a photo shop, but it's a photo shop that specializes in creating that perfect CV image. To see how the process works, I went through each step myself. Hello. Hello. Hello. For Toby's owner says he caters the service to the needs of the client. If someone is applying for a service job, we try to help them look brighter and more approachable. If it's sales, then we try to make them look trustworthy. I think let's retouch this one. The editors smoothed out my skin, sharpened my jawline, and even altered my forehead. So you're removing all my moles. Wow. This is something many young Koreans do to help them stand out professionally. But not everyone follows these rules so strictly. Jiwon Lee is a recent biochemistry graduate and part of a growing feminist movement that doesn't conform to beauty standards. Though she says that it's not always easy. I've always imagined if I were a man, if I were a man, would my mom be complaining that I don't wear makeup and I don't wear skirts and I don't wear, I don't decorate myself. Despite Jiwon's resistance, it's hard to ignore that the need to look a certain way is deeply entrenched in South Korean society. For many young people, adjusting their image digitally or physically has become an almost quintessential part of the job application process. And as the industry continues to boom, the fundamental question remains, is it creating opportunity or simply deepening inequality?

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