Female Idol Regrets Not Getting Botox When She Was A Minor

A beloved girl group member-turned-soloist recently talked about her regrets of not receiving Botox treatment when she was a minor, triggering heated reactions online.

The idol in question, I.O.I‘s Yoo Yeonjung, made this candid confession during her appear on the YouTube show Zzanbro along with her fellow members Jeon Somi, Chungha, and Choi Yoojung.

During the episode, the members started reminiscing about their time on Produce 101, the Mnet show that led to the formation of I.O.I. Yoo admitted that if she had a do-over, she would like to return to Produce 101 as a participant.

The idol confessed that she regretted how “raw” she was while participating in the show, adding that she was positive she would do better if she were to go back. Yoo then let out an “off the record” secret, stating that she had actually fallen out of a debut lineup before participating in Produce 101. She then complained that her agency “didn’t even give [me] a Botox shot” before sending her on the show.

While this confession was delivered candidly and in a laid-back manner, it has sparked a major debate about beauty culture in the K-Pop industry. Some netizens were left disturbed at how casually Yoo complained about not getting Botox back when she was a high schooler. However, some felt that it was normal, given how procedures like double-eyelid surgeries are so common among teenagers in Korea.

• “In a world where even middle schoolers get double eyelid surgery, what’s the big deal about a high schooler getting Botox?”
• “Why are you making such a big deal out of a simple procedure?”
• “I mean, even in real life, 17 is already the age when people get double eyelid surgery and all that stuff.”

• “At my school, there was a kid training to become a celebrity who got facial contouring surgery during their sophomore year of high school. And honestly, quite a few regular students got nose jobs too. So why call it ‘grotesque’?”
• “Are the people in the comments out of their minds? Are double eyelid surgery and Botox even comparable? I’m in my early 30s; plenty of kids were getting double eyelid surgery back when I was in middle school, but Botox is something people, even those in their 20s and 30s, are better off avoiding.”
• “Honestly, these days, if parents feel that plastic surgery could reasonably cover up any perceived flaws, and especially if their child is destined for a career in the public eye, they’ll often skip taking elementary school graduation photos and just go ahead with minor procedures on the eyes or nose. Since so many people are mercilessly ridiculed online for how they looked as elementary schoolers, parents often feel that, for a child heading down that career path, managing their appearance in this way is the right approach. And that is why they sign the consent forms.”