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Plastic Surgery Boom in South Korea As medical technology developed, people had more chances to change their appearances. Plastic surgery is one of the breakthroughs in medical technology. It is divided into two fields ??? reconstructive surgery for functional reasons and cosmetic surgery for aesthetic reasons. The term ‘plastic’ was derived from the Greek word, plastikos, which means to mold or form. The history of plastic surgery is much older than assumed.
Plastic surgery began in ancient India; noses were considered symbols of pride, so they cut opponents’ noses during warfare; and amputation of the nose was allowed regally as punishment for a multitude of offenses, including adultery (Sexton). Plastic surgery was, at first, operated to reconstruct their noses. At that time, it was just on the level of reconstructing tissue, but its level have been improved by advanced technology; and aesthetic reasons became more important than functional reasons.
Today, the fad of plastic surgery is sweeping South Korea. The advanced medical technology and science have become widely available and lower in price; as a result, plastic surgery is no longer strictly reserved for the rich and famous (Burgess 14). And, it is no longer only women’s issue; an increasing number of men think about having plastic surgery in the affirmative. According to Charles Scanlon, a reporter of the BBC News, “By conservative estimates, 50% of South Korean women in their 20s have had some form of cosmetic surgery.
And in a recent poll, 70% of men said they would also consider surgical improvements. ” Korean people think that appearance occupies great part of success of life and that making their appearances look beautiful is not an option, but necessity (Lee). As the interest to appearance has grown up, the effort to have better appearance also became people’s interest. An annually increasing number of people who have plastic surgery prove it.
In the past, people tried to hide the fact they got plastic surgery, but now, they tell that they got cosmetic surgery to others without concealment. It indicates people changed their attitudes to plastic surgery. This change of people’s attitudes in South Korea followed the fad of plastic surgery. However, people do not recognize the dangers of cosmetic surgery well while plastic surgery is getting much more popular. Plastic surgery causes fatal side effects not only to society but also to the patients.