South Korea: The plastic surgery capital of the world (2024)

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South Korea: The plastic surgery capital of the world? ›

According to ISESP data as of 2021, South Korea has estimated the highest number of plastic surgery cases per capita in the world.

“Koreans are much more sensitive about how they look and care more about their appearance. This has led to more surgery and higher competition,” said Dr Chang Hak, president of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.

In cosmetic surgery's capital, Korea, she finds a country where a nose job is the norm in this insightful documentary. But what's the cost of the plastic pressure to be perfect? Watch The Plastic Surgery Capital of the World and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today.

South Korea has the highest per capita rate of plastic surgery worldwide. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), approximately one in three South Korean women between the ages of 19 and 29 have undergone plastic surgery.

As of 2022, the United States had the largest number of cosmetic procedures, with over 7.4 million procedures. Brazil had the second largest number of cosmetic procedures, with over three million procedures that year. There are both surgical and non-surgical options for cosmetic procedures.

For foreigners who aspire to K-beauty, getting plastic surgery in Korea has become a turning point in their lives beyond a simple medical operation. This is why many foreigners visit plastic surgeons in Korea.

South Korea holds the title of being the No. 1 country for plastic surgery, with an estimated one in five South Koreans having some kind of plastic surgery. Women are more likely to have a plastic surgery procedure, and it is believed that 20 percent of all women have either had plastic surgery or are considering it.

As companies helping with matchmaking for marriage and even job applications require a photo of the individual, it is inevitable that the Korean population feels pressure to undergo plastic surgery to achieve the "natural beauty". A building in Busan, housing several cosmetic surgery clinics.

South Korea

South Korean surgeons are among the best plastic surgeons in the world. And according to reports, 1 in 3 South Korean women had plastic surgery at least once in their life, meaning the country has the highest plastic surgeries performed per capita.

"In recent years, many foreigners have come to South Korea for cosmetic surgery, and some people have been involved in medical disputes and surgical failures and even deaths have occurred," the Chinese embassy said in a note to the public , opens new tab.

How many foreigners go to Korea for plastic surgery? ›

In 2022, there were around 46.3 thousand foreign patients at plastic and cosmetic surgery departments in South Korea. This represents a significant increase compared to the previous year, however it is still far below pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers.

There are thousands of plastic surgery clinics in South Korea. Thus, it is important to choose a reliable and safe clinic. Many years of experience working with foreign patients has allowed Medical Avenue to create a data base of the best plastic surgery clinics and surgeons.

On average, the cost of plastic surgery in South Korea is lower compared to many other countries, including the United States and Western Europe. However, the cost of plastic surgery can vary greatly depending on the type of procedure, the surgeon's experience, and the location of the clinic.

South Korea – Grabbing the 4^th spot, South Korea had 980,313 patients undergo cosmetic procedures in 2014. 4.6% of these were surgical procedures and Eyelid surgery was on top of the list. 5.1% non-surgical procedures were performed and again Botox was ranked number one.

Most Botox injections take place in the USA, with 3.945 million Botox procedures in 2022. That is far more than any other country, representing 42.8% of all injections globally last year. Japan came second in Botox usage statistics with 841,620 (9.1%).

However, this historical and economic legacy is not the only reason behind Korea's status as the world's per capita plastic surgery capital. Experts point to three factors: changing perceptions of plastic surgery, the development of surgery technology and the popularization and spread of social media.

Of the 1500 Koreans surveyed in 1944, 38% agreed that a woman can get plastic surgery for marriage. Of those surveyed in 2015, 66% agreed as well. The normalization of cosmetic surgery goes back to the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 when the unemployment rate rose from 2.61% to 6.8% according to Brookings.

From the '60s onward, the Korean cosmetic surgery industry grew into a force to be reckoned with, eventually producing the moment in which contemporary South Korea finds itself—one whose zeitgeist Lee sums up in a popular Korean saying: “Your god creates you, but your doctor-god really re-makes you.”