Nowadays, according to the Chosun, more Korean males have chosen to go where no Korean male has gone before! It seems that more and more Korean males are entering professions largely dominated by females. In today’s Korea, with high unemployment and diminishing prospects young men in their twenties and thirties are stepping into the world of nail polishers, make up artists, florist and yes, even belly dancing.
I naively thought that those fields would already have a male presence. Mostly because those fields back home are proven to be safe havens for gay men. I thought the niche would be just as filled here in Korea, but I guess that’s just not the case. Gender lines are strict no matter what the orientation and the price can be high to pay if they are crossed:
Makeup artist Park Ki-suk faced strong opposition from his parents when he declared his chosen profession. “My parents told me to get out if I wanted to become a makeup artist. But easing customers’ distrust was more difficult than persuading my parents,” says Park. “I practiced and practiced every day to become a good makeup artist.” Nail polisher Choi Sung-soo was also teased by his relatives. “They told me to castrate myself if I was going to be a nail artist.”
Castration for being a make up artist seems a tad dramatic. I can just picture young Park hiding his brushes and compact under the mattress. Maybe if he were an Extreme Make up artist or a Man up artist they would be more accepting.
