Sure, the cover is important….
I have a pretty set routine by now in Korea.
I work from Monday through Friday in the office and from Friday night to Sunday morning, I enjoy exploring the Soul of Asia, Seoul. Then on Sunday morning, I head to Onnuri church located in Seobingo area of Seoul. I love Onnuri church, and the reason is because people like me, Korean Americans attend the church without feeling too out of place. There are a large group of Korean Americans and many celebrities attend the church. It is a dynamic church that I feel much comfortable in, unlike many places in Korea. One of the pros about this church is the pastors who are mostly Korean Americans, or sometimes 1.5 generation (born in Korea bur raised in the states). One of my favorite pastors is Pastor Han, Hong. He was born in Korea but raised in the States from his early teen years and attended UC Berkeley, and maybe that’s why I love him. Anyways his sermon was absolutely what I needed.
“Look at your self as if He was to look at you,” was the title.
In Korea, all the girls look the same. I didn’t understand why people had the same hair, same clothes, same make up and even same nose and eyes. It turns out that it is very important to look the certain way in Korea. If you don’t fit the bill with your looks, you might not be able to get the job even if you are qualified. That’s how much it matters in Korea. Therefore the message Pastor Han delivered was something that I think everyone, including me in this shallow world. To quote him, “every single person has their own uniqueness and their own purpose for being here and it doesn’t matter whether you don’t look like the person sitting on the right side or the left side of you.” According to an article published on the Korea times on July 25, 2005 titled Students Obsessed With Appearances. According to the article “First good impression is very important for job interviews,’’ said Park Dong-eun, a graduate student of Ewha Women’s University (EWU). “Since people meet face-to-face during job interviews, it is important for women jobseekers to look good,” and “Koreans are forced to put our picture on our resume almost always, which is rare in other countries. Sometimes it is mandatory to write down our weight and height. I don’ t think it is necessary but that is the reality.” As you can see from the quotations it is extremely important to look great in Korea and it is fair to say that the books in Korea are being judged by the cover and most of the time by the cover only. I also had to put a picture on my applications when I was seeking for a job and the technology savvy photographers were able to conduct much magic on my picture with Photoshop to have me look much leaner and prettier (and maybe that’s why I got a job…. You never know.) Below is the proof provided.
One of the most popular movies in Korea this year was “200 lbs. Beauty.” This was actually the first movie I ever watched after arriving in Korea in this past January. My dear friend and I watched and he, a Korean American said that he had changed his opinion about plastic surgery. He was always against me thinking about getting my nose done (yes, I do dislike my round nose…) but after being in Korea for a couple of months more than me, he thought it wasn’t a horrible idea that I get some fine tuning on my face. Yeap. Here is a trailer clip of the infamous movie, check it out.
Koreans have made it clear to me and many of my non-Korean friends and looks is one of the most important things in Korea. It is fair to say that Korean do judge the book by its cover. I actually love the books printed and published in Korea because they are beautiful~
Pastor Hong informed us that no one should look the same. Every single person has his/her own reason for being here. And then he played a short film for us. And actually made the congregation tear up.
The cover sometimes is important but what is underneath has to be the most important factor. Go ahead and judge the book by its cover but you make sure you wait and see what the contents have to offer you.
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