"May Be Denied Entry for Looking Different from Photos" Chinese Embassy Warns About Korean Plastic Surgery

The Chinese Embassy in South Korea has warned its nationals that they may face death or medical disputes after undergoing plastic surgery in Korea.

According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 20th, the Chinese Embassy recently stated through its official social media (SNS) account, "In recent years, many foreigners have been visiting Korea for plastic surgery," adding, "Some of them have been involved in medical disputes, resulting in surgical failures and even deaths."

Operating room image. [Photo by Pixabay]

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This warning is analyzed to be related to the incident where a Chinese woman died while undergoing surgery at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam, Seoul.

On the 19th, articles about a Chinese woman who died of cardiac arrest while receiving corrective surgery in Korea after a failed plastic surgery in China appeared among the top real-time search results on Baidu, China's largest portal site.

The incident, reported through Channel A on the 16th, occurred at a plastic surgery clinic in Seocho-gu, Seoul. A Chinese woman in her 20s, Ms. A, suddenly experienced cardiac arrest during anesthesia before surgery and was transferred to a nearby large hospital but ultimately passed away.

The Korean plastic surgery market is worth about 5 trillion won annually, accounting for 25% of the global plastic surgery market. Among foreigners who visit Korea for plastic surgery tourism, 70% are Chinese tourists, and complaints about side effects from plastic surgery clinics are increasing among them.

Experts analyzed that the overheated competition among plastic surgery clinics in the saturated domestic market and the failure to curb the prevalence of illegal plastic surgery brokers may have also been problematic.

They further pointed out that if reports on side effects from medical tourism plastic surgery in Korea continue, distrust in Korean plastic surgery could negatively affect bilateral relations, emphasizing the urgent need for countermeasures.

Along with this warning, the Chinese Embassy urged careful selection of brokerage agencies, verification of the legality of medical institutions or doctors before signing contracts, and keeping copies of the contracts.

Additionally, they advised carrying surgery certificates when leaving the country if there are significant changes in appearance after surgery or if still in the recovery phase.

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