The standard of beauty is often subjective, shaped by era, culture, and evolving trends. Naturally, what people find attractive changes over time, and the Korean entertainment industry is no exception.
Recently, a Korean netizen reflected on how the image of the “ideal handsome man” has shifted over the years. In today’s industry, softer and more delicate visuals, such as Cha Eun Woo’s, are widely praised as the pinnacle of beauty. However, the standard wasn’t always this way.
The netizen explained: "It seems like the Korean standard of ‘handsome men’ has really changed. In the past, there were a lot more men with strong and defined features. If you picked the top handsome celebrities back then, they were all people like that. But these days, if someone looks even a little too strong-featured, people say they don’t look Korean and that they look like a foreigner. Originally, our country’s standard for handsome men leaned toward the strong-featured type, but that stopped around the mid-2010s. For me personally, the last famous actor who fit that type was Yoo Seung Ho."
Along with their post, the netizen also shared a photo compilation of past male celebrities once considered the "ideal handsome men" of their era, sparking a discussion on how tastes have changed in the entertainment scene.
Yoo Seung Ho
Shin Sung Il
Son Ji Chang
Kim Min Jong
Choi Min Soo
Choi Min Sik
Jung Bo Seok
Jang Dong Gun
Won Bin
Singer Shin Sung Woo
Kim Won Joon
Cha In Pyo
Song Seung Hun
Go Soo
Kang Dong Won
Korean netizens commented:
"I think the reason that type of face isn’t as popular now is because it doesn’t suit makeup as well. But since makeup techniques have developed so much, 'soft-featured' faces benefit more from it, and the strong-featured look has lost its merit."
"Oh, I guess that was my type of handsome man…"
"The 'classic handsome man' type is dying out."
"Maybe it just looks like tastes have changed…I still think the men in the original post are handsome."
"Honestly, in every era, truly good-looking men and beautiful women have always been rare… It’s just that these days, so many people get work done."
"Wow, this topic really comes up often… Is it just me who thinks the current actors look more handsome? I can’t really relate since I didn’t live through that earlier time."
"I also like that kind of 'classic handsome man' look, so when I see people hyping up someone these days as handsome when they’re clearly not, I just laugh it off."
"I just wanted to point out that you might like Cortés-Martín’s type, but not a lot of people do."
"But it’s not like beauty standards can’t change, lol. Times change. If soft faces are popular now, so what? I feel like posts like this are just excuses to bash today’s celebrities."
"??!! But if Kang Dong Won debuted now, he’d still cause a frenzy, right? That face with that height doesn’t exist anymore…"
"I can admit that type is handsome, but it’s not my personal preference."
"Wow, scrolling down and seeing Go Soo really made me gasp. So handsome."
"I don’t think the standard has really changed; it’s just gotten more diverse and individualized. Even here, everyone still agrees these guys are handsome, lol."
"Wow, they’re all handsome."
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