Korean men and makeup

A 51-year-old man who just started a business met his friend, the CEO of a conglomerate. “Get a skincare treatment right away!” the friend said, adding, “Who wants to deal with a CEO who looks tired and unhealthy?” After the conversation, the man, who had rarely applied lotion on his face after shaving, went to a cosmetics store to buy facial masks and hair products.

Euromonitor International, a marketing research company, said Korean men last year spent 495.5 million U.S. dollars on men`s cosmetics, or 21 percent of the global market. The Associated Press in a recent article said, “South Korea, a male-dominated country with only about 19 million men, has become the male makeup capital of the world.” Korean machismo began to change in the 1990s. The country`s era of men`s makeup began with the Somang Cosmetics lotion “A Man With a Flower” in 1997, and metrosexuals like soccer star Ahn Jung-hwan, whose fame was catapulted in the 2002 World Cup, gained popularity in 2002. Today, men`s grooming products account for 30 percent of cosmetics sales at department stores in Korea. Even male staff help men select the right items.

In nature, males are often decorated with multi-colored feathers or manes. Evolution theory founder Charles Darwin said a peacock`s feather is the result of sexual selection, adding the bird passes its splendid feathers down to get selected by peahens. The “handicap theory” says peacocks take the risk of uncomfortable feathers for selection. This is in line with the argument that Korean men are grooming themselves to meet the growing expectations of Korean women amid the latter`s higher social status.

Using makeup is part of Korean men`s strategy to survive in a ultra-competitive society that places a premium on appearance. The 60-year-old CEO of a state-run company always applies sunblock whenever he leaves the office. He said he does not want to look old with age spots, which would make him retire. Dying hair is the first step to looking younger. The average retirement age at Korean companies is 57.4 but employees on average retire at 53. At a time when jobs are scarce and early retirement abounds, the evolution of men to adapt to changes is creating the men’s era in Korea.

Editorial Writer Park Yong (parky@donga.com)