Even if plastic surgery goes wrong, the doctor is not necessarily fully responsible for the result, a court has ruled. In a lawsuit filed by a plaintiff identified as Lee, the Seoul Central District Court on Sunday ruled that the doctor is only 70 percent responsible for the result. The plaintiff claimed that her nose became crooked after enhancement surgery.

But the court said dissatisfaction was common among patients who have plastic surgery for aesthetic purposes, and patients understand that surgery always carries risks. Thus holding doctors fully responsible for damages violates the principle of equity, it said.

It ordered the doctor to pay Lee W4 million (US$1=W1,272), 70 percent of the surgery costs, as well as W2 million in compensation.