18 replies to this topic

[Moonstone]

This look isn't that common in Korea, and usually found in North Korea. South Koreans look more Japanese-y or Chinese-y or typically Korean, if you know what I mean.

Hmm, sounds plausible. I'm only familiar with South Koreans, though.

And from the pictures SNK posted, (2) looks typically Korean.

From my experience, I would say that (2) looks typically Manchu, but this phenotype is also found less frequently in Korea (obviously, since the woman in the photo is actually a Korean).

In order from most common to least common in Korea, I would rank them as follows: (3) = Korean, (4) = hybridized Korean, (2) = Manchu, (1) = modern Chinese. I think look (2) ("hybridized Korean") is the result of random intermixture of all the different types found in Korea (mostly Korean types, with less frequent Manchu, Japanese, and Chinese types). The "pure" types (1, 2, 3) are not really pure in regard to their instantiation in any modern Korean individual, but rather atavistic; in other words, an individual who has look 1, 2, or 3 is not necessarily a pure-blooded Chinese, Manchu, or Korean, but merely happens to look stereotypical of one of those groups because of this individual's particular combination of traits.

But Isn't Manchu typically should be (3) looks, they Tungus aren't they?

"Tungus" in the ethnological/anthropological sense refers to Evenks, an indigenous people of eastern Siberia. It most certainly does not refer to Manchus. The only association between Manchu and Tungus is the fact that they both speak (or have historically spoken) languages that have been categorized in the "Manchu-Tungus language family," or what is otherwise known as the "Tungusic language family."

[SNK_1408]

I think this North Korean man looks a lot like the Tungusic peoples living in Siberia.



This look isn't that common in Korea, and usually found in North Korea. South Koreans look more Japanese-y or Chinese-y or typically Korean, if you know what I mean.

And from the pictures SNK posted, (2) looks typically Korean.

Look at the Northern/Southern profiling chart; it clearly shows these southern/northern looks all over the peninsula, so it's not concentrated on the one particular regions, Korean peninsula isn't big enough to have concentrated one type of people in one place.

North Korean man in the photo doesn't have to be just North Korean, I've seen similar facial before in South Korea too. And the photo is stretched so hence narrower.

The current president of SK, Lee Byeungbak and UN chief Banki Moon is typical Northern style faces.




Another northern look (male actor) - Tungus look?


Southern look

The 4 pictures posted of Korean women, whether origin of North or South, are all attractive! haha...

But seriously, a small country in population like Korea with so small variance of latitude from north to south also have distnct look as north versus South? The 4 girls all look very smilar to me, and at first, they all look alike, strikingly koreanesques alike. Now if one compare that to a big country (in term of latitude and population) like China, it's better to compare with its provinces for right-size comparison. Maybe one can consider Korea north and south versus Shandong province north and south, or Zhejiang province north and south, the same north south difference in look exists in Shandong, and especially prominently more so in Zhejiang province.

Strangelly enough, the North South difference always exists in most countires of the world, even of the same ethnic people. For example, big mixed ethnic country as India northerner fairer than southerner, small countries like French northerner fairer than southern French, VNmese northern fairer than southerner, Italian norherner fairer than southerner, and the list goes on.

Why is this phenomenon existed in the first place, sometimes I wonder whether it's from the mind and the kind of one-sided data the people who do the research use?

It is known that human tends to travel horizontally rather than vertically.
People tends to married that close to their proximity of their place of living.
Also tends to marry one that close to your ethnic group.
Therefore producing distinct looks; but this will change over times as people are moving all over the place.

Also, diets and climate does impact very strongly.

Edited by SNK_1408, 04 December 2008 - 01:53 AM.

[mongobanjum]

The 4 pictures posted of Korean women, whether origin of North or South, are all attractive! haha...

But seriously, a small country in population like Korea with so small variance of latitude from north to south also have distnct look as north versus South? The 4 girls all look very smilar to me, and at first, they all look alike, strikingly koreanesques alike. Now if one compare that to a big country (in term of latitude and population) like China, it's better to compare with its provinces for right-size comparison. Maybe one can consider Korea north and south versus Shandong province north and south, or Zhejiang province north and south, the same north south difference in look exists in Shandong, and especially prominently more so in Zhejiang province.

Strangelly enough, the North South difference always exists in most countires of the world, even of the same ethnic people. For example, big mixed ethnic country as India northerner fairer than southerner, small countries like French northerner fairer than southern French, VNmese northern fairer than southerner, Italian norherner fairer than southerner, and the list goes on.

Why is this phenomenon existed in the first place, sometimes I wonder whether it's from the mind and the kind of one-sided data the people who do the research use?

China is probably the area with the biggest north-south contrasts. I was so shocked when I saw some pictures of people from the northeast of China, some of them look Korean.

Japan also has a big north-south contrast. Southern Japanese (Ryukyu, mainland) look typically Japanese, though you'll find some Chinese-y types as well. Ainu look totally different (though there are very few pure Ainu, but even the mixed ones stand out).

Korea probably has a less north-south contrast. If you look at the southern type and northern type, all of them still look typically Korean.

[SNK_1408]

China is probably the area with the biggest north-south contrasts. I was so shocked when I saw some pictures of people from the northeast of China, some of them look Korean.

Japan also has a big north-south contrast. Southern Japanese (Ryukyu, mainland) look typically Japanese, though you'll find some Chinese-y types as well. Ainu look totally different (though there are very few pure Ainu, but even the mixed ones stand out).

Korea probably has a less north-south contrast. If you look at the southern type and northern type, all of them still look typically Korean.

The variation in China is huge because massive land mass and size.
Northern local people of China don't necessary have to be related to these at Southern regions.

But, in case with Koreans it's different story. One family could have both Northern & Southern looks.

North Koreans:

Middle Korean look from North Korean face
http://www.flickr.co...57602054065957/

Northern look from North Korean face
http://www.flickr.co...57602054065957/

Southern look from North Korean face
http://www.flickr.co...57602054065957/

North Korean family photo - from 1941

This photo contains some very southern looking faces

Another unknown family photo from 1900

Looks very tungusic

Edited by SNK_1408, 05 December 2008 - 02:23 AM.