By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
At a time when gender roles are continually being redefined, chalk up plastic surgery as another area that men increasingly have no fear of embracing.
Kim, a 26-year-old job seeker, is one example of a male yet again breaking the mould. He recently visited a plastic surgeon for a consultation over a nose job, explaining, ``I have a hooknose and I'm worried it might be a minus in job interviews,'' he said. ``As my friends are saying it is all right for men to have plastic surgery, I'm now seriously considering it.''
Like Kim, a growing number of male urbanites are positive about cosmetic surgery. According to a survey by Seoul City, men in the capital, especially those in their 20s, have no problem undergoing elective procedures.
Asked whether they would consider a face-lift for beauty purposes, about 23 percent of the respondents said they agreed with cosmetic procedures. And the younger they are, the higher the percentage, according to the statistics. For men in their 20s, 34 percent said they would undergo plastic surgery to improve their appearance, a 9-percentage-point increase from 2007.
Meanwhile, the survey also found that there are now 4.9 million men living in Seoul, constituting 49.6 percent of the total population and a decrease from 5.2 million in 1989. The figure is expected to plunge further, with the 4.5-million mark anticipated in 2029.
The ratio between men and women is likely to show a similar trend in the future, but with the total population likely to fall due to a falling birthrate.
Men aged between 25 and 54, or the so-called economically productive population, currently make up 53 percent of the male population. But that proportion is also expected to fall to 44 percent in 20 years, a projection that will likely weaken the labor force.
Some 74 percent of men are economically active, marking the lowest level since 2000. The biggest reason for those who are not economically active was preparation for entering educational institutes. However, for women, childcare and household affairs were the key reason.
Sixty-eight percent of men between 25 and 34 were not married.
About half of the participants said they think they belong to the lower-middle class, while 25 percent thought they are in the lower class. Some 23 percent believed themselves to occupy the upper-middle class and 2 percent the upper class.
Class awareness diminished overall compared to 2007, when 34 percent thought they were upper-middle class and 44 percent lower-middle.
meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr
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