Summary
Highlights
Caram, a 24-year-old unemployed dancer, decides to undergo her second round of plastic surgery this year, focusing on her cheekbones and jawline, which she perceives as too square. She visits a large plastic surgery clinic in Seoul, where a sales representative guides her through different aesthetic models, emphasizing the popularity of natural-looking results. The surgery package for her cheekbones and jaw is priced at 7350 €, with a discount offered due to the documentary's presence.
Caram meets her surgeon, who operates on 6 to 10 patients daily. The pre-operative consultation is brief. During the surgery preparation, questions arise about hygiene conditions. Caram is informed about the painful side effects of the procedure. She shares an operating room with another patient, and both are operated on simultaneously by the same surgeon. After an overnight stay, Caram is discharged, still heavily bandaged and unable to speak normally. She relies on her best friend for support and faces a two-week recovery at home, unable to eat solid food due to the pain.
One in five women in Korea undergoes extreme plastic surgery, with candidates getting younger. Yellie, a 23-year-old theater student, has already had two surgeries (nose, eyes, lips, chin, breasts) and plans a third for her cheekbones and jawline, costing 9500 €. She believes an "Westernized" face is essential for success in her field. Her mother, who paid for the last operation, opposes further surgeries, but Yellie is determined to finance it herself if needed. The pressures are intensified by pervasive advertising and reality TV shows that showcase dramatic transformations.
Wasung, a 38-year-old mother of three, participated in a reality TV show that paid for her total facial transformation, costing 23460 €. Her husband initially opposed it, and her children struggled to recognize her after the 84-day recovery period. The experience was unsettling for her family, and her husband found it difficult to adapt to her new face, feeling like she had become a stranger. Despite the family's initial shock, Wasung remains satisfied with her decision, eventually returning to her role as a housewife.
The video shifts focus to the K-pop industry, following the group Nai as they perform at the Dream Festival in Busan. The ten male members, aged 18 to 25, live together under strict rules imposed by their label, First One Entertainment. They have no control over their schedules, are forbidden from having girlfriends, and undergo intense daily training. Despite their newfound success, they receive no salary, as all earnings go towards repaying their training fees.
K-pop labels tightly control their idols' appearances, including weight and hair color, which can be modified for new albums. The group Nai's president introduces meditation sessions, believing they enhance creativity. However, the industry is known for its exhausting demands, with groups like IPEX maintaining a constant online presence and engaging in daily promotional marathons, often waking at 4 AM. This extreme lifestyle and pressure have led to burnout and suicides among K-pop artists.
Despite the industry's harsh realities, thousands of young Koreans aspire to be K-pop stars. Jwan, an 11-year-old girl, is dedicated to this dream, inspired by her idols. Her mother, Ominong, acts as her coach, overseeing an intensive training program that includes hip-hop, violin, English classes, and weekend K-pop academy sessions in Seoul, costing 270 € per month. Ominong is highly critical of Jwan, constantly pushing her to improve, though she sometimes feels guilty about the pressure.
Jwan joins a children's K-pop group called Dream Candy, managed by producer Park Chui. Park's goal is not to sell records but to develop talent, signing exclusive contracts with the children. Any major agency wishing to hire one of his artists must pay a commission. Park expresses concern about the trend of very young children, some as young as four, being pushed into the industry. The video concludes with Jwan being recruited by a professional label at age 11, officially becoming a K-pop trainee, highlighting the early start and commitment required in this competitive field.