A lot of people usually wonder what is the average height (평균 신장) of Koreans, especially with the rising fame of K-Pop, K-Dramas and K-Movies where most of the celebrities are known to be tall (키가 크다), this leaves people questioning if Koreans in general win in the gene lottery for height! However, compared to their neighbours China (중국) and Vietnam (베트남) they are taller.
1. Men 남자
The average height for Korean men is 173 cm. An example would be Stray Kids Lee Know and EXO’s D.O who is 172 cm.
However there will be others who can grow up to be taller than just that. Great examples would be BTS’ RM who is 181cm and SF9’s Rowoon who is 190 cm. There are some men who wear shoes with insoles (깔창) to make them look like they’re 6ft.
2. Women 여자
The average height for Korean women is 162 cm. An example would be Girl’s Generation’s (소녀시대) Tae Yeon who is 160 cm and BlackPink’s (블랙핑크) Ji Soo who is exactly 162 cm.
Just like men, there will be women who can outgrow the average height. For example, Red Velvet’s (레드빌벳) Joy who is 168 cm and Weki Meki’s (웨키 메키) Do Yeon who is 173 cm.
3. Is Being Tall Good In Korea? 키가 크면 좋을까?
With tallness considered a social advantage, parents often wish their children would grow up to be taller than their peers. A mother of a 6 year old says she plans to do everything she can to help him grow taller so that he won’t face heartache (시련) or discrimination (차별) over his height. Some Koreans also believe that having extra inches as a kid is also connected to success later in life and being taller is actually a good marker of better educational attainment (성적) and higher income.
4. Compared To The Previous Generation 이전 세대와 비교하면
According to a 2014 survey (설문조사), Korean men have grown about 15 cm (5.9 in) and Korean women have grown about 20 cm (7.8 in) over the past 100 years. Isn't it a HUGE change? In fact, it is said that Koreans have grown the most in the world over the past 100 years. Even within the family (가족), you can notice a difference (차이) in height from generations.
5. How Did The Average Height Increase? 평균신장은 왜 올라갈까?
Good nutrition is to thank! Before its modernization (현대화), Korea heavily relied on agriculture (농업) and children couldn't get enough nutrition (영양) due to the poor state of the country (나라). People back then ate more rice than meat.
Surprising right? Especially (특히) when Korea today is known to be a food haven! The people now get a lot of nutrients so they grow a lot taller.
Did this help answer your curiosity about the height of Koreans? We hope it did and that you've also learned something new!
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