I cover a wide range of stories about Korean society — one of the most dynamic places in the world. To me, journalism means being on the ground, uncovering untold stories and amplifying marginalized voices, especially in an era when AI is reshaping the media landscape. That’s why I’m always here to listen. Tips and stories are welcome — feel free to reach out via email. Before becoming a journalist, I traveled through 24 countries over 702 days, served two years as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force and later studied filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts.
Medicon Festival lures global influencers, showcases Korea’s beauty power
Influencers and Korean beauty professionals pose during the 2025 Medicon Festival in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of of the Korea Medical Tour Promotion Association
By Park Ung
Although Ale Anjos — a Brazilian content creator with more than 470,000 followers who shares her life in Korea and beauty tips — was already well acquainted with the country’s medical and cosmetic industry, she was still struck by how advanced its plastic surgery diagnostics have become.
“You can see every detail of your skin. It was really impressive,” Anjos told The Korea Times, describing a 3D face scan that analyzed her skin, predicted aging patterns, and assessed her skin's biological age. “They scan your face, and it shows when you're likely to age, all your bad spots, your good spots, and the age of your skin. At least for me, I had good results.”
Anjos was one of some 150 social media influencers from around the world who gathered in Seoul on Wednesday for the 2025 Medicon Festival — an event aimed at showcasing Korea’s advanced cosmetic procedures and state-of-the-art plastic surgery industry, part of the country’s growing push into global medical tourism.
Participants browse exhibition booths during the 2025 Medicon Festival in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Ro Eun-chan
Now in its second year, the event highlighted the rise of Korea’s beauty-focused medical tourism industry — something Kim Jin-kuk, president of the Korea Medical Tour Promotion Association and organizer of the festival, described as a new growth engine for the country’s economy, and one that social media influencers are well positioned to promote.
Describing how he came to recognize the influence of content creators in promoting Korean medical tourism, Kim told The Korea Times, “A French influencer once came to our hospital for a procedure and later shared her positive experience online. After that, we saw a sharp increase in patients from France. That made me realize the power of social media in promoting medical tourism, and it inspired us to launch this festival.”
Korea’s medical tourism sector is experiencing rapid growth.
In 2024, more than 1.17 million foreign patients visited the country for treatment — the highest figure since Seoul launched its medical tourism initiative in 2009. Of those, 56.6 percent received dermatological care, while 11.4 percent underwent plastic surgery, underscoring strong global demand for Korean aesthetic and cosmetic procedures.
Attendees enjoy food during the 2025 Medicon Festival in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Ro Eun-chan
“Korean plastic surgery is very famous in Russia. It’s one of the first things people think of when they hear about Korea,” Russian content creator Julia said. “Many Russians trust Korean doctors and come here specifically for cosmetic procedures.”
She added that one of the most common questions she gets from followers is whether skin treatments are painful.
“But now, 90 percent of procedures don’t hurt at all,” she said. “The technology is improving and becoming less painful, especially in Korea.”
For content creators who introduce Korean beauty products to large online audiences, the event offered a chance to explore something new.
Hanna Lew, who produces Korean beauty content in both Korean and Spanish, said she couldn’t visit every booth due to the sheer number of brands and clinics on display, but was particularly impressed by the wide range of innovative dental aesthetic products.
“Since Korean beauty trends are so popular now, I often get questions about which brands or products to recommend,” Lew said. “A lot of people come to Korea hoping to become more beautiful, but they don’t really know what kind of procedures to get,” she said. “I think there’s a lack of accessible information, so I’d love to use what I learned at this event to create more helpful content.”