2 Very Important Thoughts on Modern-day Korea and Plastic Surgery

Written by Chelsea Kim. Posted in Korean Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery, these two words may have sounded funny or even upsetting to people – if this was still the 1940s, of course. We all know that in America, at least, plastic surgery is still stigmatized. A decade ago, this was the same case for Korea, as well. Now, cosmetic surgery in Korea is no longer a taboo. Here are three things you’ll want to know about modern-day Korea and Plastic Surgery.

Seen As a Kind of Luxury

As was said before, these days, cosmetic surgery is becoming socially accepted in Korea as well as in other parts of Asia. You are probably wondering why and how this became the case? With time, you see, technology had developed and soon, the living standards in South Korea had greatly improved.

With that, people placed importance in other areas of their lives. If you didn’t have to worry about food, shelter, schooling and other necessities then your mind could wander off towards the luxuries. Yes, these days, getting plastic surgery done is seen as a kind of luxury to be indulged in. Much like buying branded, mass-produced commodities, getting double eyelid surgery has become a commonplace occurrence. You might have heard that Korean schoolgirls are getting plastic surgery done as a graduation gift. They don’t necessarily need it, they want it.

Is it really a a Luxury, or a Necessity?

But, hold on. Is it really simply a luxury? More and more Chinese seek South Korean cosmetic surgery, with the belief that this will increase their chances of landing a job. “You will have better chances if you are both capable and good-looking when you have job interviews” said Liu, one Chinese among thousands of job seekers who make their way to South Korea for cosmetic surgery, Last year, over 30,000 people of Chinese nationality had entered South Korea on medical tourism visas.

It seems as though these job seekers see it as a sort of necessity. They see it as a sort of confidence boost. Is it really a luxury then when the definition of luxury is, “ a state of great comfort or elegance, especially when involving great expense”. The process of getting most kinds of surgery done is not at all comfortable, but it does involve great expense. But, the end result may be of great elegance. If they are a necessity, are cosmetic procedures a sensible investment? So, is it a necessity or a luxury? What do you think?