kkonminam

Kkonminam (; ; from 꽃 (kkot, "flower") and 미남(美男) (minam, "handsome man")) has been commonly used in South Korea since the late 1990s to refer to men who are especially concerned with personal style, grooming and fashion. This lifestyle also includes the significant usage of cosmetics. Although they are sometimes regarded as bishōnen (androgynous), generally gender or sexual orientation is unambiguous.

== History == thumb|Damyeon-ribbon-wang-heedo (唐閻立本王會圖), China envoy to visit. left-to-right: Wa, Silla, Baekje Ambassador The Hwarang, or "flower youths" or "flowering knights/gentlemen", were an elite group of male warriors in Silla, an ancient Korean kingdom. Chinese sources referred only to the physical beauty of the "flower boys" who were known for their androgynous good looks. The word kkonminam is a neologism that was first used to describe "pretty boy characters from girls comics who regularly appeared against backgrounds filled with flowery patterns". The Korean kkonminam concept of soft masculinity originates from the Japanese concept of bishōnen in shōjo manga and anime, but, according to Sun Jung, with more purity, innocence and politeness.