Korean Plastic Surgery

by Angela 44 Comments

If you get off the subway at the Apgujeong station in Seoul, the first thing to greet you when exiting the turnstiles is this advertisement:

As a woman, am I supposed to fit that shape if I stand in front of that mirror?  Not likely.

I took a picture of this subway advertisement in Seoul way back in March.  I didn’t quite understand… it is advertising that you can change the shape of your face?  And if so, who does that?  Turns out, that is exactly what it is advertising and Koreans do that!

Walk through the Apgujeong station and you’ll see life-size poster advertisements on every wall showing before and after pictures of people who have “improved their looks” with plastic surgery done by the cosmetic surgeons on the streets above the station.   Almost all of the posters show a change to the shape of the face, eyes, or nose.

   
   
      
Koreans, in general, are very concerned with their looks.  Young women will wear short mini skirts and heels despite freezing weather in the winter because it’s more attractive than pants and boots.  Koreans spend a lot of money on clothing, accessories, make-up/skin products, and plastic surgery in the quest to look good.  Plastic surgery seems to be almost an obsession here in Korea.  While searching for information about this, I found an interesting news video titled Why are Koreans so into their Looks? which shed some light onto the subject.

This CNN report (article and video), Plastic surgery boom as Asians seek ‘western’ look, is worth watching for a shocker.  It features a 12-year-old Korean girl who had eyelid surgery.  It wasn’t the girl’s idea, it was her mother’s!  “I’m having her do it,” says Jang, “because I think it’ll help her. This is a society where you have to be pretty to get ahead. She’s my only daughter.”  Wow.  She’s 12.  In the video, the reporter is standing in the Apgujeong district of Seoul saying that it is the “plastic surgery capital of Asia”.  From realself.com: “The Apgujeong district in Seoul is already famous for it’s ubiquitous plastic surgery clinics. These clinics use aggressive advertising and promotion to get patients in the door.”  The aggressive advertising is certainly evident in the subway.

This NTD news video, Where Only the Beautiful and Handsome Can Survive, discusses how young adults view their personal appearance to be more important than their qualifications when applying for jobs.  More and more Korean women and men are getting plastic surgery with the hopes that it will help them land a good job.

The most popular cosmetic surgeries here in Korea are the double eyelid surgery to create an upper eyelid crease making the eyes appear larger, rhinoplasty to change the shape of the nose, and cheek and jaw surgery to change the shape of the face.  In contrast, the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the United States are liposuction, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation.

double eyelid surgery:

rhinoplasty:

cheek and jaw surgery:

Here in Korea, there are a lot of beautiful people and the women seem to age very well (at least until their late 60’s).  However after learning about the prevalence of plastic surgery in this country, I’m starting to wonder how many of those people really are natural beauties and really are just aging gracefully?  This also makes me wonder that if a guy marries a girl who is beautiful because of surgery, what will they think when they have a daughter who looks like mom’s “before” picture?  Maybe they’ll gift her some plastic surgery at age 12 also.

*******
“Money can’t buy you happiness
but it can pay for the plastic surgery.”
~Joan Rivers

44 comments

  2. There are lot of benefits of a facelift procedure. The extra skin and fat will be removed, and then the surgeon will tighten the new skin so it is smooth and sits naturally on the face.

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  7. I worked in Apgujeong and I have to see those posters everyday on my way to work~ lolz~ It's true that Korea are very concerned about looks, not only their own looks, but also other people looks. When I was in other countries, I never know that sending a CV / Resume without your photo will result in no one will calling you back even you have a good qualification. And this only happens in South Korea, which is s*ck and discriminating I must say. >.<

  19. i'm getting surgery done in a few weeks. Does anybody have any words of encouragement prior to going into this?

    My insurance company approved the rhinoplasty surgery as it's a repair from a trauma to my nose. I'm just not sure how much of the insurance company will pay rhinoplasty cost and if I'll be responsible for the difference.

    More importantly has anybody gone under his knife that can attest to the outcome?

  22. Your post was excellent, honest, and brave. Thank you for letting us have a glimpse of your experience, i appreciate it very much. Your candid and open honesty is very refreshing and I commend you for that. Between, if anyone here is interested to know a plastic surgeon in Manila, please check out the link. Thanks again.

  25. Love your blog! My advice to anyone, especially if you are considering a nose job is to seek the experience of a nose specialist doctor. Do some research!

  26. I'm not against plastic surgery but I'm not sure about girls on the beauty pageant to have plastic surgery since these girls are supposed to be role models for young girls. I think beauty pageant is to show off your natural beauty and your individual characteristic. All the girls on the Korean pageant looks the same is it really a contest?

  27. Yup, Koreans are very much concerned with their looks. I think mostly because of the competitive streak in their culture, as well as the fact that they get judged even more so on their looks than in most other countries. Plastic surgery is probably so common to South Korean culture now, as make-up is seen as a necessity to many in America. This post by Seoul Touchup highlights this fact more than anything else. http://www.seoultouchup.com/the-work-of-plastic-surgery-or-photoshop-miss-korea-2013-contestants/

  30. A few months ago, I heard a news about a guy divorcing his wife because of what she looked like. Apparently, the wife underwent a few plastic surgeries that her husband didn't know about. When the wife gave birth, his husband was shocked of their child's appearance. Then, the wife admitted of her previous surgeries, her husband then got mad and divorced her. I guess, that would be an answer to your question. We are born with features that can be passed on to our children, and if someone accepts us despite this fact, then wouldn't that be true love? There's nothing wrong with plastic surgery and I'm not against it, but this is one of the many consequences that you may face undergoing this operation.

  31. We all were born with a particular type of physical attire, which some may like while others may not. This is a very common thing and reality tells us that all of us want to look perfect. Simply stand in front of the mirror or ask your dearest pal, we all have some qualms about the way we look. Earlier when medical science had not reached the height as it has today, there weren’t a lot of options in our hands but today things have changed a lot. Different types of cosmetic surgeries are there to help you look better. One of the popular ones is the tummy tuck or abdominoplasty, providing new look to your abdomen. In this process, extra skin is taken out from the lower abdomen so that the muscles can be tightened along the abdominal wall. Another common surgery that a cosmetic surgeon performs is an eyelid surgery, helps to reshape the eyelids by removing extra skin and strengthens the tendons. This can help improve vision in those people who suffer from drooping eyelids.

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  34. Hi! I'm glad to stop by your site and know more about cosmetic surgeon. This is a good read. I will be looking forward to visit your page again and for your other posts as well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about cosmetic surgeon in your area.
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  35. Going for Surgery is not bad for adult girls but it is not good for 6 yr old gal as she is on growing phase and by going for surgery at this age it may be cause future complications when her face grow and looks are changing. So one should avoid plastic surgery on young ones Dr. Mirrafati

  36. Hi friends,

    Nice blog! Plastic surgery is unique in that there are a number of administrative bodies that certify surgeons as being board-certified cosmetic surgeons. Thanks for this wonderful post and hoping to post more of this.

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  42. Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world today and foreigners seek cosmetic treatments for the following reasons:
    • Low cost surgical treatments
    The treatment fees in Thailand are generally between 50-70% less than they used to be in the western countries. This low cost treatment allows tourist to shop for an affordable price and can find a qualified plastic surgeon of choice. Foreigners can leave for an exciting vacation, have the surgery, relax, recover and return home a completely renewed individual.
    • Quality healthcare services
    Thailand has developed a world class series of hospitals and clinics that offers modern medical facilities with access to the latest technology and treatments as well as highly educated and world class trained surgeons. Many foreigners had cosmetic surgery in Thailand and experienced plastic surgeons that treated them with outstanding skills and innovative techniques.
    • Highly developed infrastructure
    Thailand is famous of its magnificent beaches and nature's best scenes. The country has a rich culture with a superb cuisine. Tourist will enjoy many different attractions and a wide choice of accommodation from first class hotels to guest houses and also a safe and friendly place suitable for treatment and recovery.
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