Since the mid 2000s the term kkonminam (꽃미남/꽃美男; kkot/n [꽃] = flower, minam [미남] = handsome man) has been commonly used in South Korea to refer to positively vain young male pop idols with a great sense of personal style and fashion. To the Western eye they may seem effeminate, in part because they are often shown with some make-up, such as eye-liner or lip gloss. Another cause may be that as most of them are in their late teens to early twenties they look rather boyish. Although they are sometimes regarded as Korean Bishōnen

Bishonen

is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth ". The equivalent English concept is a "pretty boy".The term describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man whose beauty transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation...

, their gender is not commonly questioned, nor their sexual orientation, and many fans of kkonminam complain, for example, when their idol appears too effeminate. Examples of typical kkonminam icons are Bae Yong Joon

Bae Yong Joon

Bae Yong-joon , is a South Korean actor best known for his roles in numerous television dramas and one of the first kkonminam icons. He is known as Yon-sama to his Japanese fans.- Early and private life :...

 and Lee Jun Ki

Lee Jun Ki

Lee Jun Ki is a South Korean actor, model and singer, who Koreans regard as a quintessential kkonminam idol. He rose to fame as Gong-gil in The King and the Clown...

.