Cosmetic surgery in South Korea

The modern Korean interest in appearance dates back to the 7th century, finding its roots in physiognomy (gwansang). The concept of connecting identity and appearance became stronger during the Japanese colonial period in Korea, as Japanese rulers believed that certain facial features displayed greater intelligence and nobility. After that, plastic surgery technique brought by American doctors during the Korean War and accepted the Western notion that changing one's face would change one's destiny.{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Chelsea |title=Stanford scholar traces the roots of South Korea's cosmetic surgery surge |url=https://humsci.stanford.edu/feature/stanford-scholar-traces-roots-south-koreas-cosmetic-surgery-surge-0 |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences |language=en |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207040324/https://humsci.stanford.edu/feature/stanford-scholar-traces-roots-south-koreas-cosmetic-surgery-surge-0 |url-status=live }}

Due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis, South Korea deregulated the labor market;{{Cite web |last=Park |first=Se-Il |date=1 September 1999 |title=The Labor Market Policy and Social Safety Net in Korea: After the 1997 Crisis |url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-labor-market-policy-and-social-safety-net-in-korea-after-the-1997-crisis/ |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=Brookings |language=en-US |archive-date=25 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125154056/https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-labor-market-policy-and-social-safety-net-in-korea-after-the-1997-crisis/ |url-status=live }} Korean citizens tried all they could to get an edge over competitors for a job position, including cosmetic surgery. This still happens in the current day, as companies require a photo, height, and sometimes the family background of applicants as a part of the hiring process.{{Cite web |last=Maguire |first=Ciaran |title=Stress dominates every aspect of life in South Korea |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/generation-emigration/stress-dominates-every-aspect-of-life-in-south-korea-1.2837362 |access-date=2016-10-24 |newspaper=The Irish Times |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316092359/https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/generation-emigration/stress-dominates-every-aspect-of-life-in-south-korea-1.2837362 |url-status=live }}

Over the past few decades, plastic surgery has become more accepted in Korea. For example, 66% of respondents in 2015 expressed that a woman can get plastic surgery for marriage, compared to 38% in 1994.{{Cite web |script-title=ko:한국갤럽조사연구소 |trans-title=A Study on Perceptions of Appearance and Plastic Surgery |url=http://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=656 |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=Gallup |archive-date=26 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526204644/https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=656 |url-status=live }} The proportion of women who reported that they had undergone plastic surgery also climbed from 5% in 1994 to 31% in 2015. Women consistently score higher and are more supportive about the procedures than men. According to a Statista survey in 2020 which interviewed a total of 1,500 people, plastic surgery is prevalent among young women in South Korea. Nearly 25% of women aged 19–29 have undergone plastic surgery, while men have only undergone surgery 2% of the time. This number increases to 31% of women and 4% of men among 30–39-year-olds.{{Cite web |title=South Korea: plastic surgery experience by age and gender 2020 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1111220/south-korea-plastic-surgery-experience-by-age-and-gender/ |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=Statista |language=en |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328224422/https://www.statista.com/statistics/1111220/south-korea-plastic-surgery-experience-by-age-and-gender/ |url-status=live }} A case study by Allure Magazine noted that in recent years, the percentage rate of males who underwent plastic surgery increased and consisted as much as 30% of cases of those who underwent the procedure.{{Cite web |url=https://www.allure.com/story/korean-men-plastic-surgery-trends |title=Why More Men in South Korea Are Getting Plastic Surgery Than Ever Before By Devon Abelman |date=24 December 2019 |access-date=15 January 2024 |archive-date=13 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113031118/https://www.allure.com/story/korean-men-plastic-surgery-trends |url-status=live }} The expectation of undergoing cosmetic surgery is not restricted to urban areas and has spread to rural towns, in part due to the popularity of K-pop idols such as Wonder Girls and Girls' Generation.

South Korea is frequently called the "plastic surgery capital of the world".{{cite web |date=31 July 2022 |title=Forever young, beautiful and scandal-free: The rise of South Korea's virtual influencers |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/south-korea-virtual-influencers-beauty-social-media-intl-hnk-dst/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=4 December 2022 |archive-date=13 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013012929/https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/south-korea-virtual-influencers-beauty-social-media-intl-hnk-dst/index.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Harrison |date=28 June 2018 |title=People have the wrong idea about the 3 most popular procedures in South Korea, the plastic surgery capital of the world |url=https://www.businessinsider.nl/south-korea-plastic-surgery-gangnam-biggest-misconception-2018-6/ |access-date=2021-04-29 |work=Business Insider |archive-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426144947/https://www.businessinsider.nl/south-korea-plastic-surgery-gangnam-biggest-misconception-2018-6/ |url-status=live }} Cosmetic surgery in South Korea is commonplace, if not a common graduation gift.{{Cite magazine |last=Marx |first=Patricia |date=16 March 2015 |title=The World Capital of Plastic Surgery |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/23/about-face |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |access-date=2021-06-21 |archive-date=17 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317070705/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/03/23/about-face |url-status=live }} South Korea's cosmetic surgery is a market leader, with South Korea taking a 25% share in the global market.{{Cite web |title=Plastic Surgery |url=https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/MK_ENG_4_2.jsp |access-date=2022-09-24 |website=VisitKorea.or.kr |archive-date=11 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211014356/https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/MK_ENG_4_2.jsp |url-status=live }} One in five Korean women have undergone plastic surgery, compared to just one in twenty in the United States.{{Cite news |title=A cut above |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2012/04/23/a-cut-above |access-date=2022-09-29 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=21 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321104411/https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2012/04/23/a-cut-above |url-status=live }} In 2018, a total of 464,452 patients visited South Korea for cosmetic surgery, a 16.7 percent increase from 2017.{{Cite web |date=16 October 2019 |title=Foreign patients receiving plastic surgery hit record high in 2018 |url=http://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=6611 |access-date=2021-11-08 |website=KBR |language=ko |archive-date=6 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606054328/https://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=6611 |url-status=live }}

In the Korean surgery market, there are two providers: Hospitals and Specialty Clinics and Spas and Cosmetic Surgery Centers.{{Clarify|reason=Which two are providers?|date=October 2023}} In 2021, the market was valued to 1.95 billion US dollars.

File:Une Sud-Coréenne, avant (en haut) et après (en bas) une blépharoplastie d'Asie de l'Est.png

This form of cosmetic surgery is also known as the "double eyelid surgery". It is a surgery that reshapes the skin around the eye, resulting in a crease on the upper eyelid. The procedure is popular not just in South Korea but also other Asian countries like Taiwan and India.

The double eyelid surgery can be done in several ways, with the main difference being the form of incision. The full incision is often done to patients with excess fat and skin in the upper eyelid, a partial incision is done when there is only excess fat in the eyelid, while there is no incision used when there is no excess fat and skin. The surgery is not considered painful and it can take up to 4 weeks to fully recover.{{Cite web |title=Asian Double Eyelid |url=https://med.stanford.edu/cosmeticsurgery/aestheticservices/face/asian-double-eyelid.html |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=Stanford Medicine |language= |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608111322/https://med.stanford.edu/cosmeticsurgery/aestheticservices/face/asian-double-eyelid.html |url-status=live }}

Asian facial skeletal contouring surgeries, also known as V-Line surgeries, are often done to reduce the dimension or angularity of the cheekbones or the jaw in order to create a V shape. They are commonly found among young Korean pop stars and can give the face an elf- or childlike appeal.{{Cite web |last=Stone |first=Zara |date=2013-05-24 |title=The K-Pop Plastic Surgery Obsession |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/the-k-pop-plastic-surgery-obsession/276215/ |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=27 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027132247/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/the-k-pop-plastic-surgery-obsession/276215/ |url-status=live }} K-pop groups like created a trend for the V-shaped face among young girls, as it is seen as an attractive feature.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

A surgery can involve several related procedures: zygomatic reduction, V-Line surgery, mandibular contouring, and sagittal osteotomy of mandible. Zygomatic reduction involves fracturing the zygomatic arch, reshaping and re-orienting the bone so that it protrudes less to the side. During a V-Line surgery, incisions are made through the mouth. The chin is then fractured and reduced, and the jaw bone is shaved. Mandibular contouring is similar but does not involve the chin. Sagittal osteotomy reduces the width of the jaw bone.{{Cite web |title=Asian Facial Skeletal Contouring |url=https://med.stanford.edu/cosmeticsurgery/aestheticservices/face/asian-facial-skeletal-contouring.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=Stanford Medicine |language=en |archive-date=2 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402014416/https://med.stanford.edu/cosmeticsurgery/aestheticservices/face/asian-facial-skeletal-contouring.html |url-status=live }}

The pain following surgery ranges from mild to extreme. The jaws may be wired together for weeks, and it can take six months for the swelling to completely disappear, although it is most significant during the first 72 hours. A maxillofacial surgeon and former professor at Columbia University said the V-Line surgery is complex and carries risks of permanent numbness and death.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Oral Surgeon New York City {{!}} David Koslovsky, DDS, FACS, FACD |url=https://www.new-york-oral-surgery.com/oral-surgeon-ny/oral-surgeon-new-york-city.htm |access-date=2023-10-02 |website=www.new-york-oral-surgery.com |language=en |archive-date=4 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004165443/https://www.new-york-oral-surgery.com/oral-surgeon-ny/oral-surgeon-new-york-city.htm |url-status=live }}

File:Jessi 2017 (derived).jpg

A popular member from Apink Hyoyeon has undergone rhinoplasty and other procedures during her time as an idol.{{Cite web |last=Doctors |first=Vanity Aesthetics |date=2023-08-24 |title=Most Famous K-Pop Plastic Surgeries |url=https://www.vanityestetik.com/en/blog/most-famous-k-pop-plastic-surgeries/#:~:text=Hyoyeon:%20A%20member%20of%20Girls,self-love%20and%20natural%20beauty. |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=Vanity |language=en-US}}

The surgery can be performed open and closed. The open procedure is the most popular as it gives the surgeon more visual context. It requires an incision in the columella, which often heals without any issues and leaves a minor scar that should be difficult to spot. Once the procedure is done, it takes a few weeks to heal completely.{{Cite web |title=Rhinoplasty Procedure Steps |url=https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/rhinoplasty/procedure |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=American Society of Plastic Surgeons |language=en |archive-date=22 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522120742/https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/rhinoplasty/procedure |url-status=live }} In a closed surgery, all the incisions are made inside of the nose.{{Cite web |title=Rhinoplasty |url=https://med.stanford.edu/cosmeticsurgery/aestheticservices/face/rhinoplasty.html |access-date=2022-11-27 |website=Stanford Medical |language=en |archive-date=1 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401201621/https://med.stanford.edu/cosmeticsurgery/aestheticservices/face/rhinoplasty.html |url-status=live }}

In South Korea, rhinoplasty is the second least common surgery among ethnic Koreans.{{Cite news|url=https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/22287454#home|title=Most plastic surgery types|work=joongang|date=January 15, 2018|access-date=6 March 2023|archive-date=7 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607235334/https://www.joongang.co.kr/#home|url-status=live}} Translation from Korean: "It was found that the most frequent plastic surgery site for Koreans is 'eyes→wrinkles→nose→chest'." ... "Patients in Western countries such as the United States and Europe and Middle Eastern countries also increased significantly compared to the previous year. According to Banobagi Medical Group, 'rhinoplasty' was the most common, followed by 'eye surgery', 'fat transplant', 'filler botox', and 'contouring'. Western and Middle Eastern patients are said to be too smart and often go to hospitals to trim their large noses." The procedure is sometimes be performed in a health context as well, as restructuring the nose can also make it easier to breathe.{{Cite web |date=27 July 2020 |title=9 K-Pop Idols Who Confessed To Having A Nose Job |url=https://www.koreaboo.com/lists/9-kpop-idols-confessed-nose-job-cosmetic-plastic-surgery-rhinoplasty/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210051325/https://www.koreaboo.com/lists/9-kpop-idols-confessed-nose-job-cosmetic-plastic-surgery-rhinoplasty/ |archive-date=10 December 2022 |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=Koreaboo |language=en-US}}

{{main|Skin whitening}}

The active ingredients in face whitening is glutathione. The procedure lasts 20 minutes. Some negative effects from the procedure are as following: low blood pressure, rash all over the body, and problems with the digestive system such as nausea or vomiting.{{Cite web |last=Beauty |first=Jivaka |date=19 November 2019 |title=Skin whitening injections in Korea – What are their effects? |url=https://beauty.jivaka.care/blogs/blog/skin-whitening-injections-in-korea |access-date=2022-11-13 |website=Jivaka Beauty |language=en |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130021558/https://beauty.jivaka.care/blogs/blog/skin-whitening-injections-in-korea |url-status=live }}

{{main| Medical tourism in South Korea}}Medical tourism is the act of attracting foreigners to undergo surgeries. With the rise of popularity of K-drama and K-pop around the world, numerous people opted South Korea to undergo cosmetic surgeries. "South Korea's plastic surgery business is gaining popularity because of the country's quick, affordable, efficient, safe, and high-quality healthcare system." In 2019, a total of 211,218 tourists visited South Korea for plastic surgery.{{Cite news |last=Stevenson |first=Alexandra |date=24 December 2014 |title=Plastic Surgery Tourism Brings Chinese to South Korea |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/business/international/plastic-surgery-tourism-brings-chinese-to-south-korea.html |access-date=2022-11-21 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=29 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929013647/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/business/international/plastic-surgery-tourism-brings-chinese-to-south-korea.html |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Ghost surgery}}

A ghost surgery is a surgery in which the person who performs the operation, the "ghost doctor," is not the surgeon that was hired for and is credited with the operation. The ghost doctor substitutes the hired surgeon while the patient is unconscious from anesthesia.{{Cite web|first1=Yoonjung|last1=Seo|first2=Julia|last2=Hollingsworth|title=In South Korea, patients pay for a star plastic surgeon – and get operated by a ghost doctor|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/10/asia/south-korea-ghost-doctors-plastic-surgery-intl-hnk-dst/index.html|access-date=2022-09-24|website=CNN|date=11 April 2021|archive-date=13 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213115020/https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/10/asia/south-korea-ghost-doctors-plastic-surgery-intl-hnk-dst/index.html|url-status=live}}

Ghost surgeries are "rampant" in the South Korean cosmetic surgery industry.{{Cite journal |last1=Hong |first1=Seung Eun |last2=Hong |first2=Min Ki |last3=Park |first3=Bo Young |last4=Woo |first4=Kyong Jae |last5=Kang |first5=So Ra |date=2018 |title=Is the "ghost surgery" the subject of legal punishment in Korea? |journal=Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research |language=en |volume=94 |issue=4 |pages=167–173 |doi=10.4174/astr.2018.94.4.167 |issn=2288-6575 |pmc=5880973 |pmid=29629350}} Ghost doctors are often unlicensed and unqualified to perform the operations they are hired for, with some plastic surgeries being performed by dentists, nurses, or salespeople; one former ghost doctor reported that most substitutes were dentists. The Korean Society of Plastic Surgeons estimated that there were about 100,000 victims of ghost surgery in South Korea between 2008 and 2014. About five patients died during ghost surgeries between 2014 and 2022.

Ghost surgery is illegal in South Korea, but as there is often no evidence a surgery was performed by a ghost doctor, it is rarely punished in court.{{Cite news |last=Yoon |first=John |date=13 May 2022 |title=South Korea Turns to Surveillance as 'Ghost Surgeries' Shake Faith in Hospitals |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/13/world/asia/south-korea-cameras-ghost-surgery.html |access-date=2022-09-24 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=21 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021134349/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/13/world/asia/south-korea-cameras-ghost-surgery.html |url-status=live }} Public backlash to ghost surgery has led to the mandating of security cameras in operating rooms in South Korea.{{Cite news |last=Muzaffar |first=Maroosha |date=September 1, 2021 |title=How South Korea lost faith in its surgeons |work=Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/east-asia/south-korea-surgeons-cctv-operating-rooms-b1911681.html |access-date=4 March 2023 |archive-date=4 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304230312/https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/east-asia/south-korea-surgeons-cctv-operating-rooms-b1911681.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Cha |first=Sangmi |date=August 31, 2021 |title=South Korean lawmakers mandate cameras in operating rooms after surgery deaths |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korean-lawmakers-vote-cameras-operating-rooms-after-surgery-deaths-2021-08-30/ |access-date=4 March 2023 |archive-date=4 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304230315/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korean-lawmakers-vote-cameras-operating-rooms-after-surgery-deaths-2021-08-30/ |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Korean beauty standards}}

Korea is often criticised for having unrealistic beauty standards, often expecting women to be very thin to the point where their weight can become unhealthy. The "escape the corset" movement goes directly against the country's beauty standards and active promotion of beauty products and surgery. The movement is intended to create body positivity and reduce the strict standards that women have to live up to in the country.{{Cite web |last=Haas |first=Benjamin |date=26 October 2018 |title='Escape the corset': South Korean women rebel against strict beauty standards |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/26/escape-the-corset-south-korean-women-rebel-against-strict-beauty-standards |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=2 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202225206/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/26/escape-the-corset-south-korean-women-rebel-against-strict-beauty-standards |url-status=live }}

Another study made by Young A. Kim, Duckhee Chae and Hyunlye Kim about "Factors Affecting Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Among Undergraduate Students" affirms that the rise of the beauty standards conveyed by television, internet, actors and stars of K-pop affect people's mental health by decreasing their self-esteem and increasing their anxiety. The socio-cultural message transmitted by peers reflects the high beauty standards are became the norms.{{Cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=Young A. |last2=Chae |first2=Duckhee |last3=Kim |first3=Hyunlye |date=2017 |title=Factors Affecting Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Among Undergraduate Students |url=https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO201711656577252.page |journal=The Journal of the Korea Contents Association |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=455–464 |doi=10.5392/JKCA.2017.17.01.455 |issn=1598-4877 |doi-access=free |access-date=4 December 2022 |archive-date=20 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120135651/https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO201711656577252.page |url-status=live }}

Let Me In was a controversial South Korean television show that is focused on doing complete make-overs, including plastic surgery.{{Cite web |title=Zuid-Korea: het epicentrum van plastische chirurgie |trans-title=South Korea: The epicenter of plastic surgery |url=https://www.npo3.nl/zuid-korea-het-epicentrum-van-plastische-chirurgie |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=npo3.nl |archive-date=2 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402095007/https://www.npo3.nl/zuid-korea-het-epicentrum-van-plastische-chirurgie |url-status=live }} Participants have to convince a panel that their appearance makes their life difficult, it even goes as far as making their parents apologise for appearance and lack of plastic surgery. Participants are presented to the audience after their make-over. The show was shut down in 2015 in a response to the amount of controversy and criticism, as the show was blamed for making plastic surgery more attractive to its viewers.{{Cite web |last=Chung |first=Hyun-chae |date=18 September 2015 |title='Let Me In' to be shut down |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/11/113_187116.html |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=The Korea Times |language=en |archive-date=21 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121050903/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/11/113_187116.html |url-status=live }}

A 2021 study found correlation between negative body image or evaluation and acceptance of plastic surgery among South Korean college students.{{Cite journal |last=Lin |first=Kathy L. |last2=Raval |first2=Vaishali V. |last3=Lee |first3=Ji-Yeon |date=2021 |title=Body Image and Acceptance of Plastic Surgery Among College Students in South Korea: Testing the Mediating Role of Fear of Negative Evaluation and Moderating Role of Filial Piety |url=https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/2157-3891/a000011 |journal=International Perspectives in Psychology |language=en |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=104–115 |doi=10.1027/2157-3891/a000011 |issn=2157-3883}}

Employment surgery is a common occurrence in South Korea. Due to a lot of competition in the job market, appearance is considered an important factor when hiring, which pressures people into undergoing surgery to get an edge over their competitors.{{Cite web |last=Stiles |first=Matt |date=13 June 2017 |title=In South Korea's hypercompetitive job market, it helps to be attractive |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-south-korea-image-2017-story.html |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=9 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109015554/https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-south-korea-image-2017-story.html |url-status=live }} People who are considered more appealing have statistically more chances to "have" the job than people who do not fit the beauty standards. This is well known by Koreans and can affect also the mental health of person who are looking for a job with the required qualification but not does not satisfy the beauty qualification.{{Cite web |last=Stiles |first=Matt |date=13 June 2017 |title=In South Korea's hypercompetitive job market, it helps to be attractive |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-south-korea-image-2017-story.html |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=9 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109015554/https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-south-korea-image-2017-story.html |url-status=live }} According to a 2006 survey, 92.2% of women in South Korea expect to be discriminated based on appearance during a job interview.{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Tae-hoon |date=8 June 2010 |title=Bill seeks to ban photo on resume |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/10/113_67296.html |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=The Korea Times |language=en |archive-date=20 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020203320/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/10/113_67296.html |url-status=live }}

In 2021, a bill was proposed that take action against this culture, banning companies from asking for photos at a résumé. A survey in 2006 showed that 80% of public companies require personal information like photos.

• Cosmetics in Korea
• Cosmetic surgery in Australia
• Cosmetic surgery in China
• Healthcare in South Korea
• Korean beauty standards
• Medical tourism in South Korea

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Category:Cosmetic surgery

Category:Society of South Korea

Category:Healthcare in South Korea