My heightened sense of smell has always been intense. For some reason, my nose can detect any scent from miles away whether it's a shirt that's fresh out of the laundry or a gas leak. So whenever I attend Korean concerts and fan meetings and the Korean artist goes down from the stage (it happens and it feels so surreal!), the first thing I notice about them-aside from being poreless and flawless-is that they don't have a discernable scent even after performing 10 songs and getting all sweaty. It turns out, there's a scientific reason behind it!
Why Koreans Are Born Odorless
In an episode of the variety show My Little Old Boy, K-drama actor Kim Ji Hoon (whom you've seen in Flower Of Evil, Money Heist Korea: Joint Economic Area, and Love To Hate You) revealed that he owns a pair of pants which he hasn't washed for more than five years. It goes the same with the other clothing items in his closet and he has two explanations for this: 1.) Washing them often ruins their quality and alters their shape. 2.) He shared that he doesn't have body odor-just like most Koreans.
According to an article by The Korea Times, a high number of people from South Korea don't have the ABCC11 gene a.k.a the main determinant of body odor. Even if it gets scorching, sweating is not a problem for most Koreans because there's really no presence of B.O in them since they were born. Research also says that those who don't have the ABCC11 gene are more likely to get dry earwax than wet earwax.
If you have also noticed, South Korea offers a myriad of beauty products ranging from lip masks to body lotions but it's difficult to find deodorant options or any celebrity endorsing antiperspirant brands. Koreans do love wearing perfume, though, such as those from the W Dressroom New York.
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