The Paradox of K-beauty: An Empirical Analysis of News Discourse on Appearance Stress and Self-Confidence (2020~2024)

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study evaluates the causal relationship between K-beauty perception, practical engagement and psychological outcomes—specifically appearance-related stress and self-confidence—using a dataset of 1,414 news articles collected from 2020 to 2024. Unlike traditional sentiment analysis or word frequency mapping, this study employs Generative AI to decode the 'causal framing'—the logical structures that link beauty perceptions and practices directly to psychological outcomes. The results indicate that K-beauty discourse functions as a double-edged sword: while perception and execution contribute to improved self-confidence, they simultaneously heighten appearance-related stress. Furthermore, appearance stress was found to exert a consistent negative influence, systematically lowering self-confidence levels. Semantic network analysis revealed that these narratives are structurally complex, incorporating a mixture of themes such as the intensification of beauty standards, consumer self-efficacy, skepticism following plastic surgery and appearance-related pressure in professional environments. By decoding these causal structures, the research establishes the inherent structural ambivalence in beauty discourse and underscores the necessity for the K-beauty industry to develop psychological safety nets and sustainable strategic frameworks. These findings suggest that for the industry to remain viable, it must shift from a paradigm centered on outward appearance toward one that prioritizes internal emotional recovery and inclusive value systems.