By Bahk Eun-ji
The most expensive plastic surgery is a bimaxillary operation, which costs an average 11.4 million won, Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) said, Friday.
Following this are facial bone contouring surgeries at 6.3 million won, breast enlargement surgery at 5.9 million won, nose jobs at 2.5 million won and double eye-lid surgery costing an average of 2 million won.
A bimaxillary operation involves cutting off the upper and lower jaw bones and repositioning them so that the two jaws meet. This operation shortens the length of the face, so the procedure is usually undertaken by people with protruding jaws.
It is also notorious for being extremely painful and dangerous and it can cause facial paralysis. However, it has been becoming popular here because a number of entertainers have undergone the surgery.
From January 2012 to February 2013, the KCA received 67 cases of complaints from customers unable to have deposits for surgery refunded after they canceled it.
Customers usually pay 10 percent of the total cost of an operation as a deposit.
KCA said customers can get 20 to 90 percent of a deposit refunded, if they notify the clinics of surgery cancellation in advance, but many clinics say deposits are non-refundable.