The K-Pop Plastic Surgery Obsession By Zara Stone

According to the article “The K-pop Plastic Surgery Obsession” by Zara Stone in The Atlantic Magazine, the first ever recorded plastic surgery in Korea was performed by Dr. Ralph Millard, who arrived in South Korea in 1954 during the Korean War, and also the chief plastic surgeon for the United States Marine Corps. His duty is to treat the Korean accident and burn victims during the war. During his stay in South Korea, Dr. Millard performed the first recorded double-eyelid operation in South Korea. The first cosmetic surgery clinic in Korea was opened in 1961. Since then, surgery for beautification purposes becomes a mainstream culture. (Stone, 1) Nowadays, many forms of cosmetic surgery procedures, from liposuction to silicone cheek implants, are available in Korea. The most common cosmetic surgeries are nose and eyelid surgery, in which case they are traditionally viewed as the operations with minimal sides effects. These surgeries are common to patients as they take relatively short recovery time, …show more content…
This procedure is becoming increasingly popular among Korean teenagers, as it gives an elfin, fragile and child-like appearance. It is a complex and risky procedure, as the surgeon has to make a three centimeter incision through the mouth, and insert a three to six millimeter saw. A part of the jaw bone is removed, and the remaining jaw is slid backwards or forwards, depending on the angle that the patient wants. After that, the jaws are fixed with a titanium plate. This procedure is also extremely painful, as the jaws are wired for six weeks, and it can take at least six months for swelling to disappear. (Stone, 1) Despite the danger and the physical pain, this V-line surgery has become a common surgery in Korea. For Korean women, all this pain and danger is seen as a small price to pay to reach their ideal standards in appearance, a reflection they want to see themselves in the