South Korean Plastic Surgeons Saving Lives

In case you didn’t know, South Korea has a very accepting culture towards plastic surgery. It is common for employers as well your own family members to suggest getting plastic surgery to help you excel in your career. In fact, plastic surgery is so widely accepted in South Korea that you can see billboard ads plastered across urban cities from various plastic surgery clinics.

Some would argue that accepting plastic surgery with such open arms can corrode a society’s moral principles and culture but South Korea is actually taking steps to use plastic surgery for humanitarian efforts. North Korea is notorious for abusing and mistreating their citizens. The country is known for its concentration camps that house “political prisoners” who are regularly tortured, exploited in labor and often live in harsh and barely sheltered conditions with very little to no food. Escape means execution or death by torture but some lucky North Koreans are able to flee their country and take refuge with South Korea just beyond the 38th parallel.

Crossing the infamous border to South Korea not only brings freedom but also a chance to start life anew. A prominent plastic surgeon named Dr. Hong Jung Geun, who is the chief surgeon at Metro Plastic Surgery in Seoul’s Gangnam district, says that doctors can contribute to society by “donating their talent.”

Think of Gangnam as the Beverly Hills of Seoul. There are over 500 surgery centers within a square mile and each is filled to the brim with hundreds of patients clamoring to enhance their looks. Scars are a big issue for North Koreans who are resettling in South Korea. It is typical for employers to request a photo when people are submitting a job application. Having any visible scars can be a deal breaker, which is extremely tough on North Korean refugees who have little to no money after resettlement. That is why it’s so crucial for these migrants to have a scar revision treatment for free.

Other more commonly requested procedures are facial enhancements such as Botox injections, eyelid jobs and nose jobs. This is likely due to the fact that many North Koreans refugees are still in danger of being forcefully repatriated and returned home by underground criminal networks. Changing your eyes, nose and facial features are effective ways that are widely known as ways for people to completely change their identity. Dr. Geun encourages all 28,000+ defectors in Seoul’s Gangnam district to apply for free plastic surgery in hopes of making a difference in their lives and help them build a brighter future.

In a world where capitalism is king and nothing is free, the generosity of the plastic surgeons in South Korea is a rare sight to see. Every North Korean refugee carries painful stories that few people living in the first world can relate to. It might just be free plastic surgery to you and me but to these refugees, it is an essential, as well as a life changing opportunity, for people to better their present lives and work towards making a much securer future.

- KT