Photographer narrates women's insecurity

By Kim Bo-eun

Korea is known for its booming cosmetic surgery industry, which churns out unrealistically “perfect” faces and figures for women.

State-of-the-art clinics in Seoul promote themselves with photographs of dazzling young women. But behind all the glitz and glamour are bruised faces, bloody nose casts, bandaged bodies and insecurity; images that Yeo Ji, 31, captures.

These were among Yeo’s photographs exhibited at Vestfossen Museum near Oslo in Norway in May. The photographer also held exhibitions in New York and Seoul.

Contrary to expectations, Yeo is not against the surgery and rather speaks of the inner struggle women face in terms of self-esteem.

“Because of the pictures I take, people think I am totally against getting surgery, but I’m not,” she told The Korea Times in an interview in Seoul last week.

Yeo recalls remarks about her appearance she heard as a teenager.

“People told me I was fat; that I would be so much prettier if I only lost a little weight. All I ever wanted when I was in my teens was to go to college and get plastic surgery.”

But when she went to college, she couldn’t do it. Instead, she started taking photographs of women who had just had surgery and were recovering.

She sought the models online. Because she was a student at the time, Yeo could not afford to pay the women for their photographs, so she offered to take care of them, helping with pre-and-post surgery matters, such as picking up their medicine and checking in at hotels near the clinics.

Among them was a mother who said she did not want her children to see her in her post-surgery condition, and another woman who said she needed to get breast implants without her parents’ knowledge.

“Now people do not regard cosmetic surgery as a big deal ― getting three procedures on their eyes or nose is nothing, especially for people in the beauty industry of whom I take photos,” Yeo said. “But then, I was shocked at how easily the women thought of getting surgery.”

Yeo recalls a woman who got a loan to get breast implants. But after tests, the woman discovered she had a cyst that needed removal and would have to wait a year before she could try the implants again.

“The woman simply said she would just get her nose and jaw line done instead ― even though she had borrowed money to get a boob job.”

Yeo also said the women, rather than being in pain or shock after seeing their horrible selves following surgery, looked hopeful and happy, envisioning their enhanced features.

Yeo admits this urge to “become more beautiful” is something she continues to live with.

“I have higher self-esteem now and I know my appearance is not what determines my value, but even for me it is a continual struggle,” she said.

“But I think it’s important that people know why they want the surgery; what the procedure is and about the possible side effects.”

Yeo’s latest works were photographs of plastic surgery clinics and portraits of young Koreans. She now wants to venture into her next theme.

“I wouldn’t call myself a feminist, but I have consistently felt that women are subject to trauma specifically relevant to the female gender,” she said. “I think I will continue telling the story of women through my work.”