Young North Koreans in cities such as Chongjin are embracing a subtle, natural South Korean makeup style in 2026 that arrived through people who travel back and forth to China, despite Kim Jong Un’s sweeping crackdown on outside influences.
“These days in Chongjin and many other areas, young people do their makeup so naturally that you can’t even tell,” a source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Friday. “There’s a strong feeling that heavy makeup looks rural and comes across as unsophisticated.”
According to the source, the style first came in through ethnic Chinese traders who frequently cross into China. North Korean workers who returned home after working in Chinese restaurants also helped bring it in. Ethnic Chinese living in North Korea, known as hwagyo, hold Chinese citizenship and can travel across the border far more freely than ordinary North Koreans.
These travelers brought back stories of an effortless look that is popular among young South Koreans. The goal is to appear polished without seeming to have tried at all. As word of the trend spread, light South Korean-style makeup quickly gained a following in North Korean cities.
Some women in their 20s in Chongjin now say that Chinese and South Korean makeup styles are completely different. A common remark among them is that one glance at someone’s makeup shows whether the person is South Korean or Chinese.
“Young people see South Korea as more developed and better off than China, so they want to copy it,” the source said. “As stories spread that South Koreans wear their makeup naturally, more and more young people are following their lead.”
South Korean makeup spreads to high school students
The trend has now reached teenagers in senior middle school, the North Korean equivalent of high school. In the past, most young women in North Korea started wearing makeup only after they had graduated.
“Now it’s easy to spot second- and third-year students wearing makeup just like working adults,” the source said. “Teenagers care a lot about their looks at that age, and they especially want to copy the light South Korean style.”
A source in Ryanggang province described a similar shift among students walking the streets of Hyesan, a city on the Chinese border. “Until a few years ago, a lot of students wore thick powder and heavy eye makeup,” the source said. “They look much better now that the softer South Korean style has caught on.”
High school students and young working women with darker complexions pay close attention to brightening their skin. Many use products such as “Bishong” for this purpose, according to the Ryanggang source. They also keep their lip color natural instead of bold, so makeup overall has become noticeably lighter.
Heavy makeup still prevails in the North Korean countryside, however, because the urban trend has yet to reach farming communities. Many women in rural areas continue to wear dark lipstick and thick layers of powder on their faces.
“It will take some time for the trend to reach the countryside,” the source said. “Farming villages usually pick up a fashion only when it is already fading in the cities.”
The spread of South Korean beauty habits comes as Pyongyang enforces the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Law. North Korea enacted the law in December 2020 to stamp out foreign media and culture, especially from South Korea. Authorities have since repeatedly punished young people for copying South Korean speech, hairstyles and clothing.
About This Translation
This article was originally written in Korean and translated with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
Reporting from Inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.
Our sources remain anonymous because contact with foreign media is treated as a capital offense in North Korea — discovery means imprisonment or execution. This network-based approach allows Daily NK to report on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.
Maintaining these secure communication channels and protecting source identities requires specialized protocols and constant vigilance. Daily NK serves as a bridge between North Koreans and the outside world, documenting what’s happening inside one of the world’s most closed societies.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: dailynk.com
