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| Im Soo-hyang, right, and Cha Eun-woo from Astro pose at a press conference for JTBC's new drama "My ID is Gangnam Beauty" at Amoris Hall in Time Square, Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of JTBC |
By Kang Aa-young
Plastic surgery has become part of daily life in Korea. Anyone can easily find subway ads featuring images of women with big eyes and sharp noses. These ads also come with a message that says "you can look this way, too," in the country with the highest per capita rate of cosmetic surgery in the world.
The new JTBC drama "My ID Is Gangnam Beauty" explores the two sides of having plastic surgery in Korea ― becoming more beautiful and being pointed at for beautification.
The webtoon-turned-drama's lead character Kang Mi-rae, played by actress Im Soo-hyang, goes through multiple plastic surgeries after being constantly bullied for her looks, referring to herself as "orc," a disparaging term for an ugly woman.
After the cosmetic surgeries, Kang is "reborn" and finally able to meet the social standards for beauty. However, she is shocked that her new schoolmates at university still mock her ― this time for being a "Gangnam Plastic Surgery Monster," a derogatory term referring to women who went through surgery to achieve good looks.
The drama follows Kang's path of recovering her self-esteem as she gets to know Do Kyung-seok, a handsome but cold classmate played by Cha Eun-woo from K-pop group Astro.
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| Scenes from the drama 'My ID Is Gangnam Beauty' / Courtesy of JTBC |
"I really liked the lesson from the original webtoon. After having cosmetic procedures to overcome complexes, Kang has to face another complex because of her too obvious Gangnam beauty looks," producer Choi Sung-bum said at a press conference held at Times Square in western Seoul, Thursday. "I hope to convey the lessons from the original webtoon through the drama without getting too serious."
With the news of the drama adaptation, the original web cartoonist KMK was primarily concerned about the actress who will play the female lead since the character is specifically described as a woman who has received multiple plastic surgeries. The artist was relieved as actress Im was more than happy to take the role.
Though Im received compliments for being "perfectly fit" for the character, it might be tricky for an actress to play a person who went through so many beautification procedures. Im said she felt a bit burdened with the risk of being typecast in such roles, but decided to take the role without difficulty.
"As an actress, I have also played a serial killer and a North Korean defector. I have to live the lives of various characters as an actress. These are all just setting for a drama," Im said.
"Unlike the original webtoon, Kang has friends and family on her side in the drama. Kang will be portrayed as a normal college student in her early 20s, but more outgoing and less rigid compared to the original character."
The 16-episode drama will air every Friday and Saturday.
