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Lured by the Korean Wave and Korean entertainers, Asians are flocking to Korean cosmetic surgeons in an effort to be made to look like their idols, Bloomberg news agency reported on Monday.
About 10,000 people journeyed to Korea last year for plastic surgery, the report said. While the industry is still in its infancy, tourists who want rounded cheekbones or flat tummies can choose from 80 clinics along Busan's Seomyon Street, known as Beauty Town.
Bloomberg interviewed Masako Kobayashi, a Japanese housewife in her 40s who visited Busan. "For this visit, Kobayashi wanted her cheekbones shaved, facial lines smoothed and liposuction on her stomach," the article said.
"The skin of Korean stars looks amazingly soft," Kobayashi said. "They've probably had cosmetic operations, but their looks are so natural."
Korean cosmetic services are comparable with services in the U.S. and Japan but are much cheaper, an official from the Korean Health Ministry said in the article.
Eyelid operations cost about US$1,100 to $1,600 in Korea, compared with $1,700 in Thailand, $1,900 in Japan and $4,600 in the U.S., according to Health Ministry research cited by Bloomberg.
"The aspiration to resemble Korean stars is creating a big following from Asia," said Kim Byung-gun, 45, a cosmetic surgeon in Seoul who operates BK Clinic. About 30 foreigners, mostly Chinese and Japanese, visit Kim's BK Clinic every month, compared with 20 a year ago, he said. Many ask for the eyes and nose of Lee Young-ae or Chae Rim, popular Korean Wave stars.
Now the Korean government and 35 hospitals are spending W1.2 billion to market Korea as a cosmetic surgery destination, the article said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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