| Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) greets people near Geumchon Station in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 26, 2022. Joint Press Corps. |
Experts say Lee Jae-myung's salt and pepper hair charms people, while Yoon Suk-yeol's forehead looks dignified
By Ko Dong-hwan
| From left, Ahn Mi-ryeo, chairperson of the Korea Professional Makeup Artists Career Exchange Association; Choi Min-lyoung, president of CML Beauty Design Center; and Yena Cho, president of CMK Image Korea |
But have the candidates always been on top of their styles during the campaign? According to experts, the answer is no. In other words, the candidates' “visual communication” skills weren't always perfect. What they should do, three experts told The Korea Times, is to study the makeup and fashion styling methods that best suit each of their unique physical traits and facial features.
On the request of The Korea Times, Choi Min-lyoung, the president of beauty academy CML Beauty Design Center, Yena Cho, the president of image consulting firm CMK Image Korea, and Ahn Mi-ryeo, the chairperson of the Korea Professional Makeup Artists Career Exchange Association, reviewed and evaluated the four leading presidential candidates ― Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party and Sim Sang-jung of the minor progressive Justice Party ― based on the televised debate and various media appearances.
“Men want attractive women, and women grant their smiles to attractive men,” Cho said, suggesting that physical attractiveness isn't limited to sexual chemistry but rather, is a crucial aspect of the candidates appealing to voters. Considering that average women find men with untidy attire unattractive and that female voters outnumber males in this election by approximately 420,000 (according to the National Election Commission), the candidates ― three of whom are men ― would do well to take note and check their manner of style to maximize their magnetism because presenting a riveting impression is a simple yet fundamental strategy to appeal subconsciously to voters.
Lee Jae-myung
Experts agreed that Lee's salt and pepper hair is a big part of his attractive appearance. Choi said that the natural shade keeps his image neat and looks better than if he were to dye his hair. Cho said that, while everyone's face is slightly asymmetrical ― with what she calls an “open face,” or one side of the face that looks more attractive than the other ― Lee successfully found the better side of his face to be the right side and so highlights it by parting his hair to the right.
“By adjusting his formerly taupe-colored hair to a brighter tone, he has smoothed out his gladiator-like image,” Ahn said. “I think it contained his political will to embrace the country's middle-class groups.”
Ahn also commended his fashion style for being much more versatile than that of the other male candidates. She said that, while male candidates usually don't go beyond wearing dark-hued suits other than just slight changes of tone, Lee knows how to dress well depending on where he goes ― from formal suits to mint-colored, beige or other pastel-toned sweaters. “It definitely allows him to frequently appeal to the public's sentiments,” she said.
They agreed that Lee's choice of striped ties matches well with his longer face. However, they found his thin eyebrows problematic. Choi said that thickening the front ends of the eyebrows would make him look more determined and authoritative, while Cho recommended changing his neckties to chalk striped or thinly striped styles to strengthen them.
| Yoon Suk-yeol of People Power Party greets supporters at Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju, Feb. 6, where the party held a regional rally. Newsis |
Yoon Suk-yeol
Out of Yoon's facial features, the one that drew the experts' attention most was his well-exposed forehead. Ahn said that Yoon does his hair so that it doesn't hide his forehead and that the hairstyle probably follows his physiognomy. Cho agreed that his largish, bare forehead matches perfectly with his neat hairdo. “One's forehead represents one's dignity and authority,” said Cho, comparing it to “a fruit that ripens in the sunlight longer and tastes sweeter.” She suggested a physiognomic interpretation for Yoon (a recommendation based on the classical theory of yin yang and the five elements): that because the forehead is associated with the element of fire and hair is associated with water, hair mustn't cover one's forehead.
Ahn also liked his tendency to wear oversized suits despite his large physique. “It reminds me of Donald Trump,” she said. “Although I heard he rotates five suits to wear and doesn't have much variety in fashion, it gives people somewhat of a comfortable impression.”
The three style experts said that some attention to detail is necessary to compensate for Yoon's big, clear and round facial features, like avoiding striped ties with small patterns and sharpening the ends of his sideburns to cover his cheekbones partially so as to make his face not look too big. To add a dash of dignity to the outspoken candidate's rashness, they recommended darker suits and ties in colors like navy blue or wine red and always to knot his tie at the center. “I wish he could always be holding a pen and not let the corners of his lips fall during TV debates so that he might look more attentive and less grumpy,” said Cho.
Ahn Cheol-soo
| Ahn Cheol-soo of People's Party during a rehearsal for the Feb. 3 TV debate involving the four leading candidates of the March 9 presidential election / Joint Press Corps. |
“He has pulled off the most drastic change among the candidates with his hairstyle and eyebrow makeup,” Choi said. “It's very encouraging to see how he managed to prove that image-making can transform a politician's look this much.”
“Men's fashion starts with the 'V-zone' (referring to the shirt collar and tie area) and wraps up with the shoes,” Cho said. “In the TV debate, Ahn's dark suit and thick, burgundy tie showed a vivid contrast, accomplishing a soft image. His hairstyle, in which his forehead was previously covered by a fringe, now exposes his forehead, adding brightness and confidence to his image. I saw successful visual communication coming from him.”
“I think Ahn paid attention to the public opinion that he lacked charisma, so he tried to address that with his hairstyle and fashion,” Ahn Mi-ryeo said. “I think it worked.”
Sim Sang-jung
| Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party enters KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, Feb. 3, to join the TV debate of the four leading candidates of the March 9 presidential election. Joint Press Corps. |
“Her eyebrows are too thin and straight,” Ahn said, “Why didn't she put makeup on to make her small eyes look bigger? I know she is a sharp debater and well-trained public speaker, but since I am a woman, her makeup kept bothering me.”
Choi agreed with Ahn, saying that fixing this problematic area by thickening the front ends of her eyebrows would make her look much sharper.
They also noted Sim's other “style-breaker” was wearing too many different colors in her outfits. They said that limiting her overall outfit color to one main color and a secondary color is effective, but Sim goes beyond that, making her look “too gauche.”
“She wore a green jacket and black pants in the TV debate. Thus instead of wearing a bright ivory top, she should have worn something black to make her look more confident, dignified and sophisticated,” Cho said. “Plus, the yellow sneakers were just too much.”
“If she were to choose smoother pastel-tone clothes over the bright-colored ones that she prefers to wear, like green or yellow, I think it would add more grace and glamor to her as a female candidate,” Choi said.