K-pop star Park Bom has sparked concern among fans with a recent Instagram post in which she appears to share a heavily edited version of herself.
In the photos posted Monday (April 21), the 41-year-old’s face seems to have been digitally modified around the eyes, nose, and lips.
Many fans expressed that they preferred her natural look, while others speculated that the singer may have gone under the knife.
Highlights
- South Korean singer Park Bom worried fans after sharing two photos in which her face appeared to be digitally altered.
- Bom and her team have denied plastic surgery rumors, attributing the changes in her appearance to lymphadenitis or stress.
- South Korea is known for its strict beauty standards, with one in four women having undergone plastic surgery.
“Stop editing your face with those filters, you’re so pretty, they’re unnecessary 😢,” one fan wrote. “I love you so much and I’ll always support, but I’m kinda worried.”
Park Bom's fans were concerned when the singer looked unrecognizable in new photos
Image credits: Han Myung-Gu / Getty Images
Another said: “Sometimes I think she'll want to look the same as those filters she puts on and she'll keep doing surgery after surgery until it looks the same.”
“What if it's not a filter? But it's her real face that's addicted to plastic surgery 😯,” suggested a third netizen.
A fourth added: “She clearly has something that affects the way she sees herself. This is worrying, how far will she go for this?”
Image credits: YG Entertainment
Another group urged netizens to stop commenting on her appearance, arguing their words could exacerbate any potential insecurities the star may have. They also pointed out the strict beauty standards in Bom’s native South Korea.
“Why comment on this type of thing? What she gets the most in Korea is comments on her appearance... Then she leaves social media and they complain,” one of them said.
“If you love Bom, just love and support her and let her do what she wants. We already know how rude people can be to her,” another chimed in.
People said the 41-year-old's face appeared heavily edited, while others speculated about possible plastic surgery
Image credits: newharoobompark / Instagram
This isn’t the first time the Don't Cry singer’s appearance has become the subject of speculation. Earlier this month, she posted a short video that drew attention for similar reasons, as per Koreaboo.
Some said the clip, recorded in the backseat of a car, showed extreme use of beauty filters that altered Bom’s facial features.
Image credits: KIYOUNG KIM / Flickr
Image credits: newharoobompark / Instagram
In 2020, her record label reportedly denied rumors of plastic surgery after she appeared noticeably different during a public outing.
“Some people say she got plastic surgery, but that's not the case,” they stated.
Bom attributed the changes in her appearance to weight gain caused by lymphadenitis—an infection of the lymph nodes that can also lead to swelling in the cheeks or other areas of the face.
Additionally, she said that it's difficult to maintain a healthy diet because she suffers from ADD (attention deficit disorder).
The Seoul native previously attributed the changes to lymphadenitis, an infection that can cause facial swelling
Image credits: newharoobompark / Instagram
Her record label further shared that the star was suffering from stress that caused weight gain.
“[She] has had a hard time for a while due to stress. So, we assured her to just be comfortable until her next album comes out.
“This has led to a slight weight gain, which affected her facial feature as well.”
Bom has since become the spokesperson for the Korean weight loss clinic Juvis and reportedly shed 11kg (approx. 24 lbs) on the program.
Image credits: newharoobompark / Instagram
A Berklee College of Music graduate, Park Bom rose to fame in 2009 as the main vocalist of 2NE1, one of the most popular K-pop girl groups in the world.
The quartet disbanded in 2016, after which Bom pursued a solo career, releasing her debut single album Spring that same year.
In South Korea, nearly 25% of women aged 19 to 29 have undergone plastic surgery.
Korean beauty standards include a V-shaped face, double eyelids, a thin nose, a very slim body, and pale skin.
Bom rose to fame in 2009 as the lead singer of K-pop girl group 2NE1
Image credits: O2NEWS
Surgeon Dr. Lee Ik-jun said double eyelid surgery was particularly popular among teenage students. Teens are often influenced to get the procedure by peer pressure, K-pop and K-dramas, or even their parents.
“These are children who have agency but also they are socialized by their parents, by these doctors, by advertisements, by their peers,” Kelly Reddy-Best, a professor at Iowa State University, told The Telegraph.
Image credits: newharoobompark / Instagram
“The adults also have responsibility to help them renegotiate and reframe beauty ideals to make them broader and understand their bodies as perfect.”
However, many others consider surgery a valid way of enhancing their self-confidence.
“If somebody’s self-esteem is raised through surgery, making them more handsome or pretty, I believe that is optimistic,” said Dr Lee.
Her changing appearance has been the subject of commentary in South Korea for years
Image credits: NewsInStar / YouTube
Image credits: newharoobompark / Instagram
In addition to the commentary surrounding her appearance, Park Bom recently made headlines for what many described as an indifferent stage presence during a concert in Macau, China—an incident that led her to step away from her career to focus on her health and recovery.
"It looks like she is overlying her lips excessively," one person speculated
