Comments on: For Korean Parents, Height can Change Fate

By: tobeornottobe

tobeornottobe — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 04:29:34 +0000

It is the proliferation of white media in Korea. Ever since Korea open its market to western world, there has been a surge of double eyelid surgery, growth hormone, whitening cream. Koreans are the biggest idiots in the world.

By: lenepige

lenepige — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:31:09 +0000

Im adopted from south korea to Denmark
I wonder what the “normal” height is for a south korean man/woman..?
As a south korean girl myself, im only 153 cm, which is very very very small where i live now.
I have a 1 year old son (with a frenchman) and my son is 72 cm. He is so small that he is now sent to the doctor and specialist in childrens growing.
I would never get my childrens legs operated just for a few cm. but im sure my son will have a great life and future…small or not.

By: deebosong

deebosong — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 20:07:34 +0000

Heard of a Korean kid who got knee extensions to "assist" his "dearth in stature." It didn't help (in that the "extensions" were unnoticeable to his already taller friends, who are many), but I'm sure his parents' inferiority-complex-inducing "act of love" fueled the struggling airline industry and the wildly unregulated Chinese economy where he went to get it. And that's something I can stand behind.

As a short Korean dude myself, I'll forever cite the 5'2" musical prodigy Prince as inspiration. Not just for the height-to-"success" (in the Korean parent definition of it: securing desirable mates & acquiring mad money) ratio, but in just all areas of my life. oooOOH~

I hate to admit that I agree with most NYTimes articles covering South Korea. Having lived there for a year and some change, I can't help but agree with the paper's insinuations of moral superiority masked as unbiased reporting. I guess at heart I'm American, another uncomfortable admission, since I'm represented by the likes of the G. Bush, Joey Liebs, the ever charming Ms. Palin, Glenn Bizeck, and countless other silly people.

By: jenc

jenc — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:59:57 +0000

jee, this brings up two thoughts:

1) my mom, who is 5'8", grew up thinking she was a mutant in Korea. When she was in college, she told everyone she is 5'6" (168 cm instead of her actual height 172cm) and her grandmother worried she would never get married because she was so tall. She grew up with a crouched posture, trying to hide her height.

2) My cousin, who is 5'2", is getting married in a month. Her mother, my mom's sister, told her that the reason they are spending $8,000 to RENT her wedding dress (for one day)...is that because the bride isn't tall, the dress needs to be beautiful.

It's funny how the NY Times picked up on this. Recently, their articles covering South Korea hasn't been so positive--the racist attitudes, and now the discrimination against height--what's next?