Wonyoungism is a hyper-feminine internet aesthetic and lifestyle trend that emerged on TikTok in 2023. It is centered around the persona and perceived habits of the South Korean K-pop idol Jang Wonyoung, a member of the girl group Ive. The aesthetic functions as a form of self-improvement motivation, encouraging followers to "glow up" by adopting a disciplined routine of self-care, exercise, healthy eating, and studying, all through a soft, pink, coquette -inspired visual filter.

The trend is propagated through aesthetic edits, vlogs, and "motivation" videos that present Jang Wonyoung as an ideal of perfection, confidence, and discipline. While a significant portion of the community focuses on positive self-improvement, the aesthetic has become highly controversial for its promotion of unrealistic beauty standards, disordered eating, and pseudoscience.

Jang Wonyoung , a popular K-pop idol known for her "it girl" status, became the subject of a dedicated online movement in 2023. The trend, which her followers dubbed "Wonyoungism," began to spread on TikTok as users created and shared content that documented their attempts to emulate her perceived lifestyle. The movement was partly sparked by a viral sound bite of Wonyoung confidently stating, "I don't care—you are you, I am me," which became an anthem for the aesthetic's focus on self-confidence.

The trend combines the visual language of the Coquette and Pink Pilates Princess aesthetics with the rhetoric of the "That Girl" self-improvement movement. Content typically involves creating visually pleasing videos of skincare routines, healthy meals, workout sessions, and study habits, all presented as part of the "Wonyoung effect."

Wonyoungism is soft, clean, and hyper-feminine. The color palette is dominated by pastel pink, white, and cream. The fashion is a blend of coquette and balletcore , featuring items like pink skirt suits, fur-lined cardigans, satin ballet flats, and hair accessories such as headbands and pearl hair clips.

As Jang Wonyoung is a brand ambassador for several luxury and beauty brands, products from Miu Miu, Dior, and Innisfree are heavily featured in Wonyoungism content and are considered essential to achieving the look. The aesthetic places a strong emphasis on a flawless appearance, including perfect skin, glossy lips, and rosy cheeks.

Wonyoungism has been subject to significant criticism for promoting harmful and unrealistic standards, particularly to its young audience that primarily consists of teenagers aged 11 to 16. A major point of controversy is the trend's perpetuation of eating disorders. The #Wonyoungism tag on TikTok is rife with "what I eat in a day" videos promoting extremely low-calorie meals, fan-estimated body measurements that are severely underweight by medical standards, and other content that is widely seen as a repackaging of pro-ana (pro-anorexia) material under the guise of a "healthy lifestyle." This has led to criticism from other K-pop fans, who argue that this "toxic Wonyoungism" community has tarnished the idol's reputation by associating her with eating disorders, despite her having personally spoken out against extreme dieting.

The aesthetic is also linked to the online community around "subliminal audios," a form of pseudoscience where users listen to audio tracks with the belief that they can manifest physical or life changes. In the context of Wonyoungism, this includes subliminals that claim to give the listener physical features of Jang Wonyoung, such as an "aegyo sal" or "pale skin with pink undertones." Critics argue that these practices prey on the insecurities of young fans, especially those who are not East Asian, promoting biologically impossible beauty standards and a potentially unhealthy obsession with a single individual.