Fitness is New Beauty Craze In South Korea

I have no issues with this craze though I wonder if the plastic surgeons will find ways to make women look fit:

Today, Korean woman are seeking more of a “healthy and sexy” image. A sharp increase in fitness centers in what seems to be every building in Seoul has brought about a “fitness syndrome.” Moreover, a number of fitness gurus, such as the 46-year-old Jung Da-yeon, are now as popular as celebrities.

It used to be all about the so-called “S-line,” which refers to the curve of a woman’s waist to hip. Korean women would take pictures from the front to show off their “wasp” waist and big hips, but the current trend is to take pictures from the side, to show their “apple hips” they worked on in the gym.

Current representatives of this new beauty standard include Yoo Seung-ok, Yeh Jeong-hwa and Nancy Lang. Their muscular bodies are more distinct compared to those of traditional Korean beauty models.

Yoo Seung-ok became popular immediately after photos of herself in an international fitness contest went viral. She came in fifth at Fitness Universe Weekend, the first Asian woman to place in the top five.  [KoreAm Journal]

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