When actor Amy Baik secured a role in a South Korean commercial last year, she believed it was a promising opportunity. However, after filming concluded, she was dismayed to discover her scenes had been cut by both the director and advertiser, not due to her performance, but because she lacked a facial feature highly valued in South Korean beauty standards.
"The reason was that I don’t have double eyelids," explained Baik, 26. This experience prompted her to question the aesthetic expectations within the Korean entertainment industry. "After receiving that feedback, I started to reconsider what kind of appearance Korea wants," she said, adding it "made me wonder how I can survive as an actor in South Korea."
