Global News, Japan's "Nikkei Asia" website reported on the 12th that Korean society has long believed that tall people are more likely to succeed in life. This concept has prompted many parents to "use any means" to try to make their children grow taller. This social-level "height bias" and its related unscientific behaviors have raised concerns about children's physical and mental health.
Korean parents' strong obsession with their children's height is not only concerned about appearance, but also closely related to social competition and employment pressure. According to reports, height restrictions were common in many jobs in South Korea in the past. For example, before 2007, men who applied for police jobs needed to be at least 167 centimeters tall, and women had to be at least 157 centimeters tall. Until 2014, Korean Air required female flight attendants to be at least 162 centimeters tall. Although height restrictions in some occupations have now been lifted, many parents still believe that height is a major competitive factor in employment and social interaction.
In August 2023, Daejeon City, South Korea passed South Korea's first child height subsidy bill, which aims to promote children's health. It is estimated that 3.7 billion won (100 won, approximately 0.52 yuan) will be allocated annually to provide height-related testing for primary school students. Many people criticized the bill for encouraging people to value appearance above all else, sparking intense controversy.
At the same time, Korean advertisements for "height-increasing" products and treatments are proliferating, especially in Korean hospitals, pharmacies, and educational institutions. According to reports, in March this year alone, there were 259 advertisements related to children's height on the Korean Internet.
South Korea's "Central Daily News" reported that for the purpose of "growing taller", some Korean parents even let their children with normal development receive growth hormone injections at their own expense, costing about 100,000 won each time. As growth hormone injections for children become more and more common in South Korea, the Korean growth hormone injection market will grow from 148.8 billion won in 2019 to 444.4 billion won in 2023, almost three times the former. Reports of side effects from growth hormone injections are also increasing. South Korea's Hankyoreh Daily reported that the number of reports of serious side effects increased from 436 in 2019 to 1,626 in 2023.
Some medical experts suggest that excessive use of growth hormone may cause hand and foot deformities, scoliosis and other problems. For growing children, it is more helpful to develop correct living habits, such as appropriate exercise and adequate sleep.