K-pop, Korean pop, has taken over Eastern and Western cultures alike, with a serious mass following. Still, even though the members of BTS (aka the Bangtan Boys) are talented, many conversations seem to arise regarding their appearance, and the question of plastic surgery specifically.
With multiple plastic surgeons weighing in, the world is starting to think that it may very much be the case. However, we’re not nip-tuck shaming at all! While some k-pop stars to feel pressured to meet high beauty standards, or more specifically, Western beauty standards.
These procedures include things like double eyelid surgery, which makes eyes look rounder and more awake. When done too dramatically, it can look artificial or scary, but subtle tweaks can make facial features pop just the right amount.
Still, the procedures these stars are doing isn’t always to fit Western beauty standards anymore, and they’re instead creating their own beautifully androgynous looks. And at the same time, it’s important to remember that factors like sleep, hydration, skincare, and makeup application can create the illusion of cosmetic work being done.
In South Korea, there’s a much higher rate of plastic surgery than in the US. In fact, a study in 2013 shows that 1 out of 5 Korean women has undergone a cosmetic surgery, as opposed to 1 out of 20 in the United States.
It doesn’t seem like any BTS members are addicted to plastic surgery yet, but there are tell-tale signs in certain members, especially when you take a look at some before-and-after shots. Whether they’re rumors or they’ve just kept their doctor’s name out of the spotlight, here’s a breakdown of each individual BTS member, and the work they might have had done.
Rap Monster
For this member, surgeons suspect that some type of surgery was performed on his nose, regarding the slope angle contour and wide of the bridge. The rest of his face is ambiguous, but angular balancing is possible, as are minor eyelid tweaks. He’s one of the only rappers who has admitted to surgery, but claimed it was necessary to fix a deviated septum in his nose which was causing breathing issues.
J-Hope
The work done here is more obvious, and not typical of faces from Seoul. Here, there is tooth whitening, a distinct cut on the jawline, and an alteration on the earlobes.
Suga
Suga’s face was adorable to start with, but he may have had some work done on his eyelid to create a wider and more open appearance. There may have also been an angular accentuation, but this could be due to weight loss or a diet change.
Jin
Skin lightening seems to be the main job done on Jin, who is significantly lighter than he as back then. However, he is also blond now, which makes him look very different.
Jimin
Here, we also see a possible nose-job, or perhaps just an angular tweak to make it more dramatic. However, there are multiple means of getting this look that isn’t necessarily surgical.
Jungkook
One of everyone’s favorite BTS members, Jungkook, may have had nose adjustments, but it could also just be a natural glow-up after puberty. The work on him is minor, if anything.
V
When it comes to one of the most genetically blessed members of the group, it turns out that V is just naturally a pretty boy, and probably will never need plastic surgery done. Lucky guy!
Fans getting too much surgery to replicate
Some wonder if fans have taken it too far in being inspired by BTS members’ surgery. In 2018, British fan Oliver London spent more than $100k trying to look identical to Jimin as he could. To this day, he’s still going under the knife and sharing his journey on YouTube.
However, he stresses that the surgeries are not done to look more Western, and he instead just wants to look like Jimin. The excessive surgery has caused him to lose nearly all the cartilage in his nose, which would cause irreversible facial damage.
Is plastic surgery contradicting the heart of the BTS message?
The BTS army is all about love and self-acceptance, which might make some raise an eyebrow since they’ve had all this work done. Still, plastic surgery, when done for the right reasons, can be a means towards increasing your self-esteem and self-love, so maybe they are on the right track after all!
