Koreans Show Overwhelming Support For Amber After She Opens Up About Her Body Insecurities

Amber opened up about her body insecurities and Koreans are showing nothing but support for her bold confession.

Amber posted a professional image to her Instagram with an important caption that spoke about her new-found confidence and will to continue to do what she loves despite negative opinions about her body image.

“for a long time people made me feel ashamed of my body. then i became ashamed of my body. people wanted me to be weak because thats what a girl ‘should’ be like. i threw away my ambitions and goals. well, i’m not that person anymore. I will always continue to work hard, become stronger, and learn to love myself for who i am, imperfections and all.” — Amber

The K-Pop star has been fighting against body image prejudices since her debut, responding to hate comments about her small chest and supposedly ‘male’ features.

She recently spoke with the BBC about her attempts to talk about the issue through her youtube video “Where Is My Chest? (Responding To Hate Comments)”, which sarcastically addresses comments from those trying to shame her for her body.

“I was trying to confirm with what society wanted me to do, and as I was doing that I felt more uncomfortable, I felt more hopeless. That’s tiring. You’re chasing someone’s approval. A lot of the comments were saying things like, ‘Oh, I’m flat chested, too.’ It’s always great to know that I’m not the only person out there and that other people deal with that too. I’m not alone. And if I can do anything to make someone else not feel alone, I’m going to do it.” — Amber

Her latest Instagram picture, which is part of a Nike campaign called “Unstoppable Power” with other high-profile women, has brought nothing but love from Korean netizens who have left comments of support.

“I respect you and am cheering for you! You don’t live like a man or like a woman. I hope I can live like you.”
“Everyone should just live the way they want to be.”
“So cool, Amber.”
“She deserves to be proud. The public keeps saying she’s a man, she isn’t a man. I don’t know who you guys are, but don’t pay attention to others and worry about living for yourself.”
“Is it 2018? People can live in various ways. The world I see, hear and know is not everything. How can you all live the same way?”

Amber also surprised netizens by posting a picture of herself in a dress with model Irene – but Koreans are taking their message to Amber that she can be whatever she wants to that post, too. Many are defending her from comments she is “a man dressed as a woman“.

“What the hell is a man like and a woman like? Men can wear makeup or wear skirts and heels. Women can cut their hair and make up their own clothes, but what does it mean if a male is feminine and a female is masculine? It is really gender fixed.”
“Well, she’s going to live how she wants. You don’t need to be like a woman or like a man.”

Amber is opening up the discussion of gender conformity in Korea and she’s getting a whole lot of support for doing it.