The narrator, a young man of Korean descent, explores the cultural pressure to undergo plastic surgery in Korea, where having a specific beauty standard is highly valued. He visits a plastic surgeon who suggests several procedures, including double eyelid surgery, nose reshaping, and fat grafting, to achieve a more "mainstream" Korean beauty ideal. The narrator then uses a computer program to simulate the changes, but is ambivalent about the results. He ultimately decides that he prefers his natural face and doesn't want to undergo surgery, realizing that the parts of him that don't fit the Korean beauty standard are what make him unique. He concludes that there needs to be more diversity in media representation of Asian faces, and that individuals should feel confident in their natural appearance.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The author lived in South Korea for a year in a city called Daegu.
2. The author is a quarter Korean.
3. In South Korea, there is a strong emphasis on beauty, particularly around the eyes.
4. Many Koreans undergo plastic surgery to achieve a more desirable facial shape.
5. The author had relatives suggest that they get a double eyelid surgery when they were younger.
6. The author wrote an article for BuzzFeed about the beauty standards in South Korea that went viral.
7. The author visited a plastic surgeon to discuss potential procedures to make their face more conform to Korean beauty standards.
8. The surgeon suggested several procedures, including double eyelid surgery, nose narrowing, and fat grafting to the cheeks.
9. The author was shown a digitally altered image of themselves with the suggested procedures.
10. The author was not entirely satisfied with the digitally altered image and decided not to undergo the procedures.
Note: I excluded opinions and personal feelings expressed in the text, focusing only on verifiable facts.