By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

Korea is regarded as the Republic of Cosmetic Surgery as many people both young and old are trying to have their faces and bodies made beautiful.

Physicians also get appointments from foreigners, including visitors from Japan, as Korean dexterity in the field has become well known.

Cosmetic surgeons in downtown Seoul are always fully booked with people trying to improve their looks. This is a boom period for cosmetic surgery, especially for students who have taken their college scholastic ability test and are taking time off before entering university. During this period, thousands of high school graduates will go under the knife.

However, sometimes these operations are either fatal or have long-lasting side effects.

Once famous actress Kwak Jin-young underwent a double eyelid operation that failed. She said the doctor who conducted the operation killed himself out of guilt. Han Ae-ri, a former member of the girl pop group Babyvox Re.V, was reported to have lapsed into a coma after having facial surgery. She was preparing to make her debut as an actress on the small screen.

Especially, for those whose health is not good, an operation can prove to be deadly. American rap star Kanye West's mother died on Nov. 10 due to alleged complications during a tummy tuck and breast reduction operation.

Cosmetic surgery has an element of ``addiction,'' as many undergo surgery several times.

In October, the Medical Council in New Zealand ordered cosmetic surgeons to give patients a seven-day cooling off period to think about an operation.

``It is society forcing people to look at themselves in one structured way, but in this given period, the patients should look into themselves individually and decide whether they really need this,'' Yang Jung-min of Tiffany Clinic said.

Cosmetic surgery was once the domain of movie stars or people suffering skin defects such as large birthmarks. However, nowadays, many people consider it essential.

According to the online recruiting company alba.co.kr, 69 percent of 1,023 people looking for jobs said cosmetic surgery was needed to get employment.

Another survey of 810 women living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province aged over 18 showed 77.5 percent felt they needed cosmetic surgery.

Among those polled, 62 percent had already undergone operations. Uhm Hyun-shin, who reported this as a part of her doctoral paper for Kyung Hee University's fashion design department, said cosmetic surgery has now become ``common.''

It is not only the youngsters. The elderly are also up for so-called ``rejuvenation surgery.'' MBC reported that older women are not reluctant to spend millions of won to iron out their wrinkles or get a facelift.

Sander L. Gilman, a professor of liberal arts and medicine at the University of Illinois said these people have the desire to look younger, healthier, slimmer and sexier.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr