{
  "id": 12446658,
  "title": "South Korean-style natural makeup catches on among young North Koreans",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/south-korean-style-natural-makeup-catches-on-among-young-north-koreans",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-06T17:29:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily NK",
    "slug": "daily-nk",
    "url": "https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-korea-youth-south-korean-makeup-trend/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2026, a natural, understated South Korean makeup style is gaining popularity among young people in North Korea, despite strict government restrictions on outside influences. According to a source in North Hamgyong province, young individuals in cities like Chongjin have adopted the look so naturally that it's difficult to distinguish from their facial features. The trend began with Chinese traders and workers who frequently cross the border into China, sharing stories of the effortless North Korean look that's popular among South Korean youth. Ethnic Chinese living in North Korea, known as hwagyo, can freely travel across the border and bring back information about the preferred makeup style. As the trend spread, it quickly gained traction among young women in their 20s. They now consider South Korean and Chinese makeup styles distinct, with South Koreans seen as more developed and sophisticated. The influence of South Korean makeup has also reached high school students, with teenagers in senior middle school now sporting light, natural-looking makeup, similar to working adults. Rural areas still maintain heavy makeup, as the urban trend has yet to reach farming communities.",
  "summary": "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 […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}