The Times had an article about how some Korean parents have been enrolling their kids in "growth clinics" in an attempt to make them taller than they otherwise would be. The kids are placed in rack-like contraptions, get stuck with needles, and even receive hormone shots.
First, there's no proof any of this works, and South Koreans have been getting taller anyway, as their diets have improved (North Koreans remain shorter). It's one thing to be drinking deer antlers and ginseng, but hormone shots? That is some dangerous craziness.
도대체? - that means "What the hell?" (Bing also suggested 어떻게 된 거냐 - "What the deuce is the matter?" Their programmer must have gone to Harrow).
Parents are spending up to $850/month for treatments for each kid, but they better also be socking away money on a won-for-won basis for the shrinks their kids are inevitably going to need. While I am sure this in part motivated by a sincere desire for their children to be "successful", I also have no doubt this is also motivated by some kind of shame, and it will be picked up on by some of these kids.
If a child doesn't grow tall "enough" - will some children think did something 'wrong', that they somehow 'failed'? You bet.
For what it's worth, I'm 5'8", and my 'little' brother is 6'. He's been taller than me since I was about 14.
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