Male grooming in South Korea
The east is rouge
Globalization has impacted the world in so many levels and South Korea was one of the countries that was effected by the globalization. Where the men use to wear makeup and dominate their own line of cosmetic product, as well as, they are the leading consumers. According to the article, South Korean men use 13 grooming product on average a month, which it’s the half number that their Korean female peers use in a month. In addition, according to Euromntior “A research firm” the Korean skincare market has doubled in 5 years from 2009 to 2014. Nearly all the big South Korea brands have men’s line nowadays. AmorePacific owned most of the powerful line for men cosmetic product such as: IOPE, a high-end skincare line and Innisfree, a high-street brand. As well as, LG Healthcare owned the face shop, a cosmetics brand. But still till now many men hesitate to go beyond moisturizing, while few of them feel comfortable browsing shelves in stores. With new technology men have their own online store where they can exchange tips through it. Furthermore, most of the beauty firms sell their products nowadays through metrosexual brand ambassadors and celebrities from the world of K-pop or Korean television dramas. One of YouTube user has justified the reason of why some men wear makeup by saying "few South Korean men want to mimic the stars." (The Economist, 2015).
I can link this story to course concept that I have studied, where this story has two of the course concepts and they are: globalization and functions of the press. I link it to globalization because having new concept especially that man can wear makeup is something happened because of the globalization, which is focus on the cultural perspective of globalization and that described the process of the cultures and how it integrated through the global network of trade. I link the story to the functions of the press and it focuses on the interpretation and that mean the role that the media play in giving meaning and significance to events. Gatekeepers provide interpretations, comments, analysis and opinions on various events to give the audience a better understanding of the event such as: where the YouTube user justified the reason behind this story.
