A growing number of Korean women have made action to veer away from the country’s rigid standards of beauty

South Korea is becoming the plastic surgery capital of the world. However, not everyone is ready to jump into the wagon.

The movement called “Escape the Corset” was inspired by the global viral moment, #MeToo which has not only made people think twice about abuse, but also inspired countless discussions on South Korea’s patriarchal society.

For so many years, South Koreans have accepted their rigorous cosmetics and skincare routine. Most Korean women have even gone under the knife, with some parents financing their surgery as a birthday gift.

The beauty-obsessed country has the highest number of cosmetic surgery per capita, and it’s not showing any signs of stopping. In fact, South Korea is now attracting many tourists because of its cosmetic surgery scene.

In 2018, cosmetics and skincare products had over $13 billion in sales, catapulting it to one of the top beauty markets in the world.