In the current wave of Korean pop groups that have been getting international recognition, Girl’s Generation is certainly among the top acts.  One member of this group especially has been generating a lot of buzz online for pictures taken during a modeling shoot in New York.

The photos above are (allegedly) of Jessica Jung, one of the nine girls who make up Girl’s Generation.  However, you might be thinking I’m pulling your leg by telling you that both of the people in the picture above—the hot woman on the right and the woman who looks like she could be her mother—are in fact the same person.

Welcome to the controversy that has captured Korea.

The country is largely divided down the middle about whether these two photos are of the same person or not.  Some people see this as a disturbing example of the lengths that showbiz goes to alter peoples’ looks.  On the other hand, Jessica’s supporters have come out to comment saying that this is all a hoax.

Let’s look at the facts concerning this picture, which was posted on a Korean website first.  The backgrounds of both appear to be New York streets judging by the sidewalk pattern and architecture.  The clothes are definitely identical right down to the pattern on the T-shirt and bracelet on her right arm.  The hair is slightly different but it makes sense that they would blow it out a little more for the actual shoot.

The problem is that underneath these things seems like two different people.  The proportions of her legs, arms, and torso look completely off.  However, with both photos being taken at opposite angles, this could be written off as an illusion.  Even the faces, which look totally different, could be explained by a combination of make-up, lighting, and positioning.

Throw in the existence of photo doctoring technology like Photoshop that can make me look like I’m having dinner with Elvis and the Loch Ness Monster, and anything is possible.

Some people who claimed to have known Jessica maintain that the left picture is how she really looks.  However, under the comfortable blanket of anonymity that the internet provides, I could easily pretend to be Jessica’s mother.

What’s perplexing about this is that both a hoax and a case of excessive airbrushing are equally plausible scenarios.  If it is just really her on the left, then she’s probably setting everyone she meets in real life up for a huge let-down.

 Source:  Healthmedi (Korean)
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