the issue about age all falls into the expectations set by society......what's wrong about being young or being old..... it's how you live your life...... i should stop reading about articles where youth is being favored too much..... it messes up one perspective on what's really important.... love, happiness and peace.....

um..interesting...Well i would not lie about my age, regardless. But i can understand where they are coming from. Females in the entertainment industry must keep there youthful looks to have a long and successful career. So ti should be no surprise that they would lie about their ages.

Whoaa. Ten years? Craazy.
I find it interesting that they would do that..
Learn things everyday..

Lol Lee GaYi... so all the guys that she coupled with in shows like LoveLetter were actually younger than her?

I wonder if their co-stars speak informally to them on set when they're actually supposed to be formal XD

...so what?....
*humming Aaliyah's "Age ain't nothing but a number"*

I'm afraid Korean entertainment seems a little bit scary now - a lot of suicides and a lot of lies in profiles, just to fit, to seem more acceptable. And I know lies etc happens a lot all over the world.. but there's a thin line between dirty show business (that we all know has dark sides but still accept it as we all love dirty cause then we have sth to talk about) and dark side. bring me a jedi who won't let my faith disappear!

Is it any wonder with all of the fangs ready to bare in the minds of the internet driven star loving/hating public that companies must play fast and loose with the facts lest they lose the support of the insipidly superficial public attitudes that prevail in our world society. When a popular, proven talent the likes of Goo Hye Sun is met with derision for the mere fact that her actual age is a fews months or years more than her co-stars or the character that she plays (this showbiz thing is fantasy folks. If everyone who played a role only played themselves, we'd have to just follow the players around with a camera and without a fake "reality" show script to guide them...) how can any production company feel confident that their product will be successful without using a bit of gentle air-brushing of the actual facts? It's already enough that Korean society charges it's newborns for the time spent in the womb (already making them older before their time!) Do we really need to throw more fuel on the bonfire of mass jealousy by making the talents come clean to a public that draws such absurdly stringent and fickle entry fees to stardom?

Hey, this is about women and their ages (and / or their height). Why drag in men and the size of their dduk?

I think perhaps age is over-rated anyway, for entertainment purposes. It is the double edged sword that is wielded by the entertainment industry. Actors (in all countries) are treated as objects of desire by fan-dom and so age DOES matter (since it matters to fan-dom) even if, for all practical purposes, after 18, it shouldn't matter too much.

The fact that they lied about their age is not surprising in the least. The fact that they lied to help their careers is no big concern to me, although I say this in a very hypocritical manner.

To be completely honest, it is no big concern to me because I have no idea who those actresses are, really. If the actress who lied about her age was, say, some actor I cared about - Kim Sunah, I am sure I would have a much different reaction. Not that I care whether Kim Sunah is 20, 30 or 40 right now, but that part of her charm is the fact that I believe in her performances and in her character. A part of that is her integrity, and so her lying to her fans might pose an issue. Would I forgive? Very likely, anyway. So, in the end, no big deal?

-Samsooki

??? . . . seems like it. As a lady of "I don't really care. It's your life", I understand that celebraties want to relate to their fans. However, celebraties forget sometime that it's their talent that the fans relate to. I don't look at the age of a particular actor to see if I like them or not . . . simply their skills on screen.

To a certain 'invincible, gasp 35! will never happen to me' target audience - age DOES matter in some way. Which is why you see the stars packaging themselves so much.

I mean everyone knows how old KSW is in Cinderella Man afterall.

And perhaps why you see some actors so desperately trying to hold their own before they loses lustre for their teen and 20+ fans. (F4 insecurities, anyone? ^ ^)

Personally once you hit a certain age - age isn't such a big deal anymore. It just becomes another number to remember when reporting it on paperwork.

People who are comfortably secure with their age (and aging) are way more appealing (and alluringly sexy) than those fighting it and trying wayyyy too hard.
Kinda like balding men and those comb-overs.

IDK why, but I'm amused. "Or penis size." LOL LOL Sarah, you're the best!

@Samsooki

Oh omg, when I read the way you spelled (spelt?) fandom as fan-dom, my mind made a connection that really, really it would've been a lot better if it hadn't. I feel dirty now. LOL

" “1984 is my broadcast age. It was used because I’d gotten a late start compared to other actors.” " What the f--k. That's stupid, hahahaha, makes me LOL so bad. A late start, LOL, if only we can do that for everything.

I think it is impressive that Korean actresses even broadcast their age. In America, in all areas, women guard their ages, and even when hiring someone, it is illegal to ask someone's age. God forbid you make the faux pas of asking a female colleague her age in an American work place.

The reality is that there is rampant ageism throughout the developed/developing world, and that is more concentrated in showbiz where, all the mumo jumbo about talent aside, looks supersede skills.

Fudging one's age here and there is irrelevant; it's part of the overall processing and packaging of artists. If fans really believe that artists are not packaged and skillfully constructed products put out for consumption, then, well, they should get out more.

It is the larger problem of youth-driven culture (not localized to Korea) that is more depressing and worrisome.

But when I sit down to watch a show, I expect entry into fantasy -- that's the whole point of investing in worlds of fiction. Fudged age or one's marital status, etc, is just part and parcel of that fantasy.

As the Joker probably would say in response to this issue: Why so serious?

This has happened before I think even in idol groups...they changed siwon's bday to make him younger...

I totally understand why they do it. Age is much more relevant in the entertainment industry for women than men. Especially in Korea with the majority of popular tv programs seem to be angsty love stories about people in their twenties. Why would you limit the rolls you can take when you can easily still pull off looking like a fresh faced youth?

I don't find nearly as many middle-aged female actors as you do male in the entertainment business getting staring rolls.......supporting character sure...lead...not happening. That goes on here in America too. Lying may lead to more prejudice/ageism against women in the long run, but these women are worried about their careers now....que sera sera.

I'm not gonna lie, I don't like getting older. I'm cool saying that too, because I don't think anyone is actually happy to age... Most of us would like to stay as fresh and energetic as we were at 19, but we also understand reality and that aging is inevitable.

I conclude that most of stars who are lying about their ages are women..Why did they do that?
"Lying about you real age, doesn't make you get younger and prettier"..
"Lying about your real age, makes you feel safe just for a while, but when it reveals, daanggg~~~~people will hate you!!!!

I don't really care about their age...I care more about their acting!

Meh...as long as they look great I don't really care how old they are :) Kinda like SHK and her height (or lack of), hasn't really stopped millions of guys - and girls - adoring her.

Nom Kitteh:

While ageism is definitely an issue here, but the customs of asking one's age in Korea is also a matter of culture as people often have to ask someone they've just met their age so that they can speak in the appropriate manner to them, the whole formal/infomal speech thing is very important in the Korean culture.

But honestly, half the time I don't even know how old these people are... Seriously, I don't care.

"When entertainers are caught lying about their ages, people may lose faith in them, and it may cause entertainers as a whole to be considered a group of liars. "

Ahh.. I completely agree with this. One lie than later its possible for two lies.. than more and more. Than thoughts like "he/she lied about this... I wonder what else he/she is lying about....." So it's better to start clean than to have people doubt about you.

Hmmm.....Pressure much?

What's the big deal? - Hollywood actresses lie or cover up their age as well.

And in the sports world, football and basketball players lie about their heights and weights as well (for instance, most basketball players are a couple of inches shorter than what they are listed for on their college or pro team).

hoo hoo!
i remember an episode in 무릎팍 (Golden Fishery) last year. After giving the profile (specifically birth date) of the guest celebrity, one of the host said, "It's a mystery whether this is true or not. On the internet, most are listed as being born in 1975." ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Age always seemed confusing at lest to me with the Korean age and western age and I guess if they use one against the other an actor can be at lest a year younger without really..'fibbing'.
I think sadly Korea is driven by image and the need to always be in the public eye and how much money you can bring in rather than real talent. It really brings into focus that it is not 'Art' it is a business, and while it true all over the world I think no one seems to do it it in such a cold-blooded way as the Korean entertainment industry.

Show less age numbers but more bigger slicon tits, higher nose bridges, that's showbiz folks! hmm...compare bigger dicks would be more interesting!

I don't see a big deal about lying about your age. Here in the USA asking about someone's age is almost taboo, definitely if it's a women. I know couple of women that refuses to tell anyone their age. One even refuses to tell her family. It's a family joke now.

The lying about height and weight is normal too. Men do it all the time too. One guy I know claims he is 5'9'' but that is a complete lie. I'm 5'8'' and he's couple of inches shorter than me. Still won't admit he's not 5'9''.

Yea…what do we expect from this it happens all the time not just in bizz world but even ordinary people lie about age ...but the thing is I hope audience will be more mature knowing this and not too judgmental about it …though we prefer starts being true to themselves but they don’t have much choices do they? I for one don’t care about age as long as they give us quality act in films or good music, who cares and hey there are starts who kinda oozed in sex appeal when they get older….

"So, okay, not the best-written article"
......but definitely one of the funniest...lol......thanks, jb^^.....LSY looks way younger than me and she's actually a bit older

The truth, as awful as it is, is that there's not many meaty, starring roles for older women, especially if you're in the late 30s and 40s....I remember a famous actress (can't remember who) saying that being old in Hollywood is like having a disease.....same thing in K-entertainment I would imagine

However, I have to admit that I want to see good-looking, young people onscreen (but they must also can act b/c good-looking alone doesn't do it).....Shallow? Yes! but I do like eye candy^^

I can see why actresses and singers would lie about their age and it isn't that bad as long as they're not stretching the truth too far. Shave 2-5 years off your real age? Fine. But if you go for an absurd number like 10, then you're bound to be humiliated when the truth comes out.

Even though it's unfair, I am quite critical of actresses' ages when I decide whether of not I want to watch a drama. If a thirty-two year old (pretending to be twenty-four) is playing the protagonist in a rom-com aimed at high schoolers, you bet I'll have a problem with the casting.

JB,

I re-read the thread, and I noted the first sentence and how it fits me like a 2 cm square peg into a 2 cm square hole. Admittedly, I do tend to obsess about male actors weights, noting that at 79 kg (about 174 lbs) and 180 cm (5'10/11), I am nearly 10 kg!! heavier than their online profiles. 10kg! That's a minimum of over 20 lbs I have to lose!

So I guess it is helpful to know that the height and weight "stats" are likely fudged a bit to assist the actors/actresses in conforming to expectations. But knowing that just leaves me with less guidance than before. How much weight to lose?

And why is this important to me anyway? It's sort of embarassing actually. Purely for superficial reasons? Yes, I know, it is childish for me to want to lose weight solely for the purpose of looking more like the people in the dramas, but if there isn't a health risk involved in losing the weight, then why not? It isn't like I am low on the self-esteem totem pole - so can't a guy have a little bit of superficial vanity? What's the difference between doing that or buying fashionable clothes or accessories? Still, losing that much weight is not easy (and watching Kim Myung Min lose 8 kg on a dooboo and tea diet in a month was not helpful to me! OMG. LOL. :)) Perhaps the reason that Kim Myung Min 'wasn't there" was because he lost too much weight and literally was nowhere. Maybe I'll film a short video clip entitled "Samsooki Tries Not To Be There" and post it on youtube. If my wife doesn't die of embarassment (killing me first), it might be fun).

Back on topic, JB. One position seems to be that actors' / actresses' bio data should be removed from their internet profiles, since the data may or may not be accurate, and there is an inclination to doctor the data to fit the actor/actress into a certain mold. While removing all bio data would certainly eliminate the need to lie in the first place, the public's intense interest in a particular actor's bio data would still be there, and its absence would likely fuel greater interest, no?

People (fans) want to know bio data because (well, at least for me), they want to be like their favorite actors/actresses, and bio data gives them benchmarks. Taking those benchmarks away won't take away the interest, and may just fuel speculation and greater discrepancies between what is real and what is fake.

-Samsooki

seriously why be embarrassed about age, they should set a better example to the public. i can understand the prejudice against looks problem since we just cant help it but age should not be a barrier when it comes to acting. A few years would not matter especially if you look the part and the whole "being young means idol and not real talent" is the most ridiculous stereotype ive heard so far.

the bigger issue is their dishonesty, not them being too old. I know its difficult for celebrities to be honest about certain things without some public backlash but i wouldnt include age in that category. as for the 10 years older girl from baby v.o.x, she was kicked out after her real age was revealed and eun hye replaced her.

I've noticed that birthdays float around a lot when actresses debut. It's usually subtle, within at most 2 years. But I still find it jarring visualizing, say, Lee Hana as a Libra (born in October) when she was initially reported as a Capricorn (January.)

I mean, it's cool. It's not like they lie about their blood type. If so, BY GOD, there will be hell to pay!! A's up, B's down!! >:( !!!

"Actress Lee Shi-young rose to popularity through the drama Boys Before Flowers, and recently admitted that her profile age (born 1984) was wrong and that she’d actually been born in 1982."

I think the change came around the time she signed up to do We Got Married. It's kinda jarring, because she could pass for 21 and, besides BBF, did roles opposite Kim Hye Sun in Kingdom of the Wind and Kim Dong Wook (of Coffee Prince.) She's the oldest of the current WGM crew, but she looks younger than Yoonji and Shin Young. How can anyone who as old as Jung Ryeo Won or Son Yeh Jin be THAT obsessed with Gundam?!!? It's adorable when Jun-jin calls her ajumma. Gawd I love the Gundam couple. :D

Speaking of WGM, Yoonji's really interesting too. She's the 2nd youngest among the brides, but she's definitely the noona of the group. Just very together, mature, and just a sweetheart with the girls. But it also makes Kang-in's scripted(?) immaturity kinda disappointing.

"the more recent versions in the Gundam universe but the original story is totally interesting and adult and philosophical…"

Oh Sarah, you know you just have a thing for men who wear masks. ;)

"It’s like Transformers with soul, or Voltron with a brain"

Hey now, Voltron DID have a brain! And very full lips. It's weird visualizing a robot with collagen implants, but Voltron's Jolie-esque pout really kinda disturbed me when I was little.

no suprises, entertainers have always known to lie about their real age, it's nothing new. And it's not just age but their status...they always want to make fans believe they're young, single and naturally beautiful---which most of them are not.

Javabeans,

Are you blogging after spending a night in cold sweats on your bathroom floor??????

Damn, you are committed.

Hope you're feeling better!

lol woww
thank gawd...ppl lying about their weight

Why don't to be honest? Being old...that's life. Everyone in this world must being old...so, just enjoy your life...not to be afraid with your age. Young is beautiful, but Old too can beautiful. Superstar is human being too...!!

I still like Sunwoo Sun despite the fact that her age was meddled with. I think she's very sexy and for her to be 34 and still look like she's in her mid-20's, props to her!

- "It’s like Transformers with soul, or Voltron with a brain."
- "Hey now, Voltron DID have a brain! And very full lips. It’s weird visualizing a robot with collagen implants, but Voltron’s Jolie-esque pout really kinda disturbed me when I was little."

ROFL! You two are hilarious! Damn, I loved Voltron as a kid. Guess which one I wanted to be... :P

looking like you're in yours 20's when you're in yours 30s is MORE to admire than lying about your age. I just turn 38 and everybody thinks that I'm less than 30! and I have friends younger than 30 that looks older than me.

so, I never lie about my age since I'm so proud of how I look and how I take care of my skin and body.

hahaha, don't u find it ridiculous that the stars/their companies lie about their age? I mean, if u're 27 like Lee Shi-young, will lying that you are 25 or 22 make u look younger? No right? (unless u're using cosmetic surgery or whatever beauty/youthfulness enhancer product) Lee Shi-young does look baby faced, no matter whether she is 27 or 30 or even 22. Lying won't change how she looks. Although it probably does give people the illusion that she looks younger...

P.S. Not a Lee Shi-young hater here. Just giving an example ^^

Wow all these youngsters!. I am 62 with a waistline just the same size. If I was a motor bike I wouldnt need saddle bags I already have them. Girls dont worry about it. When you get to my vintage just remember one think, gravity. Yep, thats where it all goes down except the numbers on the scale and the tape.
If you want some good tips to stay young. Kick your man in the balls. You are the boss. You run the show. You go out until late and drink and flop like an untrained seal. Just no cigarettes and drugs. Take away food. don't. McDonalds and all that crap is not good for your skin or libido. But beer is!!!!!!
So no bull shitting just boozing and bossing
You will live long enough to get saddle bags and gravitated boobs

I think the real question is not really weather or not you care about age. But weather you would change/shave how much ever your agent told you to make the same kind of money they are? Noting it isn't going to change anything but the possible size of your income would it be worth it? After all talent isn't something you can fake.

it's not surprised if some Korean stars lying about their ages, for me this is normal. as long as they know how to entertain us, age doesn't matter!