Here's Why 1 In 3 South Korean Women Say They've Had Plastic Surgery
In South Korea, beauty isn't "something to be envied, but something to be attained." —Dr. Joo Kwon
The United States performs the most cosmetic surgeries of any country in the world, accounting for almost 18% of the global total.
The US is followed by Brazil, Japan, Italy, and Mexico, according to the Global Aesthetic Survey, 2017.
However, South Korea performs the most cosmetic surgeries per capita, with approximately 20 plastic surgeries per 1,000 people, compared to the US's 13:1,000 ratio.
Global Aesthetic Survey, 2015.
In fact, about one-third of South Korean women between the ages of 19 and 29 said they have undergone cosmetic surgery before.
Korea Gallup Poll 2015.
And some parents even offer plastic surgery to high school students, sometimes as an encouragement to get better grades or as a graduation present.
Double eyelid surgery is the most common procedure performed.
The procedure takes 30 minutes and has a recovery time of five days, according to JK Plastic Surgery Center in Seoul.
Seoul's Gangnam district is the place to go if you want to get work done. There's a whole section of the street with tons of plastic surgery centers.
Yes, like Psy's "Gangnam Style"...oppa, oppa.
We took a trip to JK Plastic Surgery Center, an award-winning surgery center in South Korea, to interview Dr. Joo Kwon about the current state of cosmetic surgery there.
Here's what "Dr. JK" had to say about "SK" and the culture of beauty and cosmetic surgery.
"South Korea is a very competitive society and people are pushed closely together. Half of South Korea’s population lives in Seoul, so we are confronted with other people’s images all the time. In addition, it is widely agreed upon that people who look better have an advantage in the job market," said Dr. Joo Kwon, CEO and founder of the JK Plastic Surgery Center.
It's common practice to submit a headshot with your resume to companies. And some businesses have strict rules about workplace appearance.
According to the Atlantic.
"In addition, Koreans have a special attitude toward beauty. To Koreans, beauty is something that is attainable through hard work, just like anything else. Koreans see plastic surgery, and becoming prettier, as a challenge. They see beauty not as something to be envied, but something to be attained," Dr. Joo Kwon said.
"However, the assumption that all Koreans are undergoing a huge amount of cosmetic surgery is a misrepresentation by Western media. It’s really more of an urban social phenomenon, than one specific to South Korea."
Dr. Joo Kwon went on to explain that procedures’ popularity changes depending on the country of the patient.
In the US, liposuction and aging reversals are the most common procedures.
While Koreans "are mostly interested in eye, nose, and facial bone-contouring surgery," he says.
A South Korean friend described America as having a "you do you" culture, while South Korea has a "you do you, and we do you too" culture. She said it's not uncommon for people to approach you on the street and mention "you're getting overweight" or that they will "pray for your skin to clear up" if you're having an outbreak.
The global K-pop media craze, part of “Hallyu” or "the Korean wave," also contributes to establishing rigid beauty standards.
A K-pop girl group called Six Bomb even made a song titled "After (Getting Prettier After)," where they spent a collective $88,600 on cosmetic surgery for a music video.
According to an interview they had with Korean outlet Star News.
So is South Korea really "obsessed" with plastic surgery?
Probably not, TBH. Think of it this way...
Some consider Beverly Hills to be the world capital of plastic surgery, but you wouldn't say the United States is necessarily "obsessed" with going under the knife. So even though South Korea has the highest number of procedures per capita, why would you say it is “obsessed” with plastic surgery? After all, the vast majority of South Koreans haven’t undergone any surgeries of this kind.
So whether you're a fan of plastic surgery or the thought of it makes you cringe, one thing we can all agree on is…
