South Koreans are taller and heavier than North Koreans due to better childhood nutrition and access to healthcare. The average height of a North Korean military recruit is 4 feet 6 inches, while the average height of a South Korean college graduate is 5.6 feet. Short stature was once associated with determination in South Korea, but now being tall is seen as a sign of success.
South Koreans are typically taller and weigh more than North Koreans, with the average adult North Korean being up to 5 inches (about 12.7 cm) shorter and about 14 to 27 pounds (about 6 to 12.5 kg) lighter than the their South Korean counterparts. This is thought to be because South Koreans are more likely to have good nutrition as children. They are also generally less poor than North Koreans, meaning they often have better access to health care.
Learn more about heights and weights of North and South Korea:
The average new recruit in the North Korean military is approximately 4 feet 6 inches (about 129 cm) tall. In 2010, the Army lowered its 4.5-foot (about 140 cm) height requirement by about 1 inch (2.54 cm), ostensibly due to difficulty finding enough recruits who meet the height requirement.
The average height of high school graduates in North Korea is about 4.3 feet (about 134 cm), while the average height of a college graduate in South Korea is about 5.6 feet (about 172 cm), and the height average of a college graduate South Korean girl is about 5.25 feet (about 160 cm) tall. The reason the height difference is more dramatic among adolescents than adults is that adults who were undernourished as children tend to hit their growth spurts later than those who got enough nutrition.
Being short in stature was actually considered a good thing in South Korea, because shortness was associated with determination. After Western culture became more popular in South Korea, being tall has been associated with success.
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