Beard Stories: Signification of Facial Hair In and Out of South Korea

Abstract

To sport a beard signifies something. Stories are not generally written about being clean shaven. Although perfectly natural, a beard is an add-on, like an extra appendage. A beard is a style choice. This series of autoethnographic vignettes shows some of the added effects of a beard felt by a body aesthetic that already signifies “foreigner” in the national imaginary of South Korea. What begins with a simple assumption about a marker of foreignness and difference later serves as a signifier of normative tropes, an ethnic identifier, as a sexual and political marker, and eventually comes to unveil a deeper cultural dimension within the context of its interpretation. Finally, through the process of reflecting on its erasure, the depth of personal significance of the beard in question is revealed.