Inside Korea's Billion Dollar Beauty Industry

             

In i-D’s latest video series, tattoo artist and activist Grace Neutral explores how younger generations are challenging traditional views around beauty and body image across the world. Through a number of dramatic body modifications, Grace has evolved from self-confessed alternative weirdo to actual pixie dream-girl with purple eyes, pointed elf ears, a forked-tongue, scarification and no belly button. Interested in ideas of alternative beauty and pushing boundaries of positive body image, the 27-year-old navigates us through changing attitudes to how we look. In the first four episodes of Beyond Beauty, we follow the tattoo-covered alien princess to South Korea as she investigates the ways in which Seoul’s youth conform and challenge mainstream beauty ideals. Although it’s socially acceptable for teenagers to have cosmetic surgery within its six billion dollar domestic beauty industry, it is illegal to be a tattoo artist. From underground tattoo studios to specialist club nights, Grace meets the young South Koreans embracing alternative ideas of beauty and discovers the impact it has on their lives.

Director Nick Walters

Hosted by Grace Neutral

Producer Declan Higgins

Supervising Producer Eloise King

Global Executive Producer Ravi Amaratunga

Associate Producer Kate Villevoye

Production Manager Lauran Clark

Researcher Stephen Isaac-Wilson

Production Assistant Lily Rose Thomas

Post production Coordinator Regina Lemaire-Costa

Director of Photography Tom Seal

South Korea Fixer Aaron Choe

Sound MJ Lee

Editors Nick Walters, Rebecca Gin

Colourist Nick Walters

Sound Mix Simon Little

Music Jingle Punks

Commercial Creative Director Bunny Kinney

Head of Production Bree Horn

Associate Producer Tom Ivin

Head of Post Production Daniel Elias

Post production Administrator Laura Davidson

Art Director Valerio Oliveri

Studio Manager Polly Williams

Motion Graphics Director Steve Gurr

Junior Designer Rebecca Hopkins

Additional Footage Miryo 'Queen’

Obama jokes about Clinton and Trump at White House dinner

         President Obama Jokes About Prince George, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump at White House Correspondents Dinner

              

Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States of America. President Barack Obama did a literal mic drop to close out his speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, April 30, sparking laughs and cheers.

Obama, dressed in a classic black-and-white tuxedo, covered a wide span of topics during his speech, including Prince George, Hillary Clinton and, of course, Donald Trump.

“Last week, Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe,” he said, referring to his and wife Michelle Obama’s recent trip to Kensington Palace to meet with Prince William, Kate Middleton and the Queen. “That was a slap in the face. A clear breach of protocol.”

With a smirk on his face, the president continued, “Although, while in England I did have lunch with Her Majesty the Queen. Took in a performance of Shakespeare. Hit the links with David Cameron. Just in case anybody is still debating whether I’m black enough … I think that settles the debate.”

Prince 'was diagnosed with AIDS six months before he died and refused treatment because he believed God would heal him'

Prince was suffering from AIDS before being found dead last week and had refused treatment because he believed he could be cured by prayer, it has been claimed.

The Purple Rain singer, who was a Jehovah's Witness, was diagnosed with the crippling condition just six months before he passed away, sources told the National Enquirer.

The 57-year-old weighed just 80lbs by the time of his death and had been 'preparing to die for a little while', the supermarket tabloid says sources told it.

A source, who was not identified by the Enquirer, said: 'Doctors told Prince his blood count was unusually low and that his body temperature had dropped dangerously below the normal 98.6 degrees to 94 degrees.

'He was totally iron-deficient, very weak and often disoriented. He rarely ate and when he did, it all came right back up.

'His face was yellowish, the skin on his neck was hanging off and the tips of fingers were a brownish-yellow.'

This comes as sources close to the investigation into the singer's death claimed that he had prescription painkillers in his possession when he died.

CNN reported that the pain-killing substance was found on Prince while the Star Tribune in Minneapolis reported that prescription pills were found where the musician died at the age of 57 last week at his home in suburban Minneapolis.

Both reports were based on unidentified law enforcement sources.

Obama admits Libya was 'worst mistake'

President Obama: Libya aftermath 'worst mistake' of presidency

US President Barack Obama has said failing to prepare for the aftermath of the ousting of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi was the worst mistake of his presidency.

Mr Obama was answering a series of questions on the highs and lows of his time in office on Fox News.

He said, however, that intervening in Libya had been "the right thing to do".

The US and other countries carried out strikes designed to protect civilians during the 2011 uprising.

But after the former Libyan leader was killed, Libya plunged into chaos with militias taking over and two rival parliaments and governments forming.

How Obama learned the limits of US power
So-called Islamic State (IS) gained a foothold, and Libya became a major departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe.

A UN-backed national unity government arrived in the capital Tripoli earlier this month but is waiting to take charge.

The leader of the faction ruling western Libya has threatened to prosecute any of his ministers who co-operate with the UN-backed administration, contradicting an earlier announcement the ministers would stand down.

President Obama gave the brief but revealing answer speaking to Chris Wallace:

CW: Worst mistake?
Obama: Probably failing to plan for the day after, what I think was the right thing to do, in intervening in Libya.
It is not the first time President Obama has expressed regret over Libya. He told the Atlantic magazine last month the operation went as well as he had hoped, but Libya was now "a mess".

In that interview, he also criticised France and the UK, in particular saying British Prime Minister David Cameron became "distracted" after the intervention.

It was a rare rebuke for a close ally and one which BBC correspondents at the time said angered Downing Street.

A man walks between debris following clashes in LibyaImage copyrightReuters
Image caption

Rival militias have been fighting for control in Libya
President Obama told Fox that his biggest accomplishment in office was "saving the economy from the great depression".

He said the best day of his presidency was when he passed the healthcare reforms. The worst, he said, was responding to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school.
Mr Obama discussed his legacy in a BBC interview last year, saying his failure to pass tighter gun control laws was the biggest frustration of his presidency.