![(G)I-DLE - 'Super Lady' 2024 WORLD TOUR [I-DOL] SEOUL Reaction and Commentary](https://img5.xaiju.com/storage/1/zr/gb/d38796-019e8dce-539e-70c8-b85e-9f6213e8df6a.png)
(G)I-DLE - 'Super Lady' 2024 WORLD TOUR [I-DOL] SEOUL Reaction and Commentary
Added 2025-03-11 23:21:39 +0000 UTCLike usual, (G)I-DLE really motivated us to have a lengthy discussion about K-pop's relationship with society.
Comments
It’s true that centuries ago in Korea, tanned skin was associated with lower classes because it meant working outside under the sun. However, today, no one thinks that way. For Koreans, skin tone is simply part of fashion trends, not a matter of race or class. Foreign K-pop fans are often very obsessed on idols’ skin tones, which surprises Koreans because we don’t view it as a serious issue—just a matter of style. Since Korea has been an ethnically homogeneous country for thousands of years, there’s no real discrimination based on skin tone among Koreans. Trends change—pale skin is popular now, but tanned skin might come back into fashion in a few decades. Many foreigners, living in multicultural societies where skin tone has deep social implications, naturally view it differently. That’s why misunderstandings happen. Also, regarding North and South Koreans: the skin tone differences are mainly due to lifestyle. North Koreans are often exposed to the sun without sunscreen because of outdoor labor, but if lifestyles were the same, skin tones would be identical.
Journey Kim
2025-04-29 03:04:46 +0000 UTCThank you for your gidle performance reaction! I love it. But one thing I want to say all of GIDLE’s skin tones are just their natural skin colors. For East Asians, skin tone can change significantly depending on how much sun exposure they get. In my case too, my skin tone is totally different in summer compared to winter. While pale skin is currently preferred in East Asia, it’s simply a trend. From the 1990s to the early 2010s, tanned skin was in fashion, and many people used to go to tanning salons or sunbathe on weekends. The trend has just shifted. It’s frustrating when some non-Asian reactors claim that all K-pop idols' skin colors are edited or artificial. Every skin tone you see is naturally found among East Asians. If you look at the distribution of skin tones by ethnicity, you can see how diverse East Asian skin tones actually are. Of course, because of the current trend, many idols tend to avoid tanning, but that’s just fashion—it’s not really about colorism. In fact, the reason they often appear paler is largely due to the strong stage lighting, which is used to make performances look more dazzling. Everyone, including Soyeon, just has their natural skin tone. Especially Shuhua, who is extremely pale even among East Asians. The same goes for Seventeen’s Woozi—he’s very pale, while Mingyu has a tanned tone for an East Asian. But again, all of these are natural skin tones.
Journey Kim
2025-04-29 02:40:51 +0000 UTCSure, but the preference for appearing artificially lighter than one's natural skin tone sadly extends to East Asia in general so it really is relevant for anyone in the K-pop industry
Theodor Poulsen
2025-03-12 16:34:51 +0000 UTCI don’t know about korean’s skin because more than half of gidle is actually foreign😂😂 For ShuHua, which is from Taiwan, her skin is reallyyyyy pale, her makeup stylist said she’s even paler than the lightest foundation shade. She doesn’t like wearing makeup, so we often see her bare face.
Yu Jie
2025-03-12 15:12:32 +0000 UTC
