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Cosmetic Surgery Fever Reading Lesson (kp_soc030) Benefit or Side Effect of Hallyu Fever?

Riding the boom of Hallyu in Asia, the popularity of cosmetic surgery to mimic . Korean movie actresses/actors continues. <> 20 1 , . . . . . The world-renowned daily economic newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has published a story entitled Korean Cosmetic Surgeries Change Asias Face on the front page on the 20th, highlighting Korean cosmetic surgery procedures. According to The Wall Street Journal, Asian women and even some men are flocking to Seoul in order to fix their faces, as the Korean facial aesthetic is becoming more popular in Asia through the medium of Korean cultural exports. Korea, until just recently known to be an industrial country with their cheap automobiles and electrical appliances, is creating a new style in Asia, as Korean cultural exports spread Korean aesthetics. In the center of this movement is cosmetic surgery towards the Korean style in quest of beauty. We take a look at the content of The Wall Street Journals report and the recent preference for a Korean external appearance in Asia. The Wall Street Journal profiled Kate Shu, a twenty-five-year-old acting student in Hong Kong. Shu went to Korea last April, having decided to transform her appearance with cosmetic surgery so that she can become a successful entertainer. Shu, who likes the Korean actress Song Hyegyo with her feminine looks and voluptuous lips, received cosmetic surgery in Seoul to

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raise her nose, enlarge her eyes, and contour the chin line. Shu, who enjoys watching Korean TV dramas and follows up on Korean actresses/actors comings and goings closely, says that Korean actresses are really pretty, and have prominent and elegant noses, which is the reason why she came to Korea for cosmetic surgery. The Japanese magazine Housewife and Life in their article Korean Beauty also highlighted the growth of Korean cosmetic surgery riding on the Hallyu boom. Many Korean dermatologists and cosmetic surgery clinics have opened offices in Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. The business is thriving so much that 40 or so Korean cosmetic surgery clinics have already either opened offices or are preparing for grand openings and 100 or so Korean hospitals and clinics are planning to open by years end. Thanks to this climate, there has been an increase of Chinese and Japanese women taking trips to Korea to receive surgery. Around 10 percent of my clients are foreigners, most of who are from China, Taiwan or Hong Kong, and the remainder are Koreans, said Dr. Cheong Jongpil, who operates Cinderella Cosmetic Surgery Clinic in Seoul. Many patients bring in magazine photos of Korean stars and say fix me like this actress or actor. Dr. Cheong Donghak, who specializes in nose surgery in another hospital in Seoul, says that about 15 percent of his clients are foreigners. The number of foreign patients has been rising for the past several years. Since Hallyu, the number has been rising by a wider margin, Dr. Jeong added.

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some critics see the current popularity of cosmetic surgery riding the Hallyu fever as a rebellion against white Caucasian actresses that dominate most international films. Korean culture is worthy of research, but I think we are too preoccupied with Korean dramas and pretty actresses, said Wang Xiamei of the Chinese National Womens Union. Wang warned that too much emphasis on aesthetics can lead to psychological damage in women who are overly dependent on external appearance. Hankyoreh Oct. 27, 2005 Listening lesson (kp_soc230) Severe Fallout from the Gangnam Regions Cosmetic Surgery Rage [Anchor] The number of surgical side effects is increasing along with the recent rise in the number of cosmetic surgery clinics due to the recent cosmetic surgery rage. There have been demonstrations protesting recent cosmetic surgery medical accidents in the Gangnam region, where most of the cosmetic surgery clinics are concentrated. Correspondent Lee Seungyoon reports. [Report] Ms. Kim is waging a one-person protest in front of a cosmetic surgery clinic in Gangnam. Her nose became deformed after undergoing rhinoplasty. She has been waging a protest for over a week, demanding compensation from the hospital. [Interviewee, Ms. Kim, a victim of cosmetic surgery side effects] One of the nostrils is gradually getting bigger. I had seven surgeries in a year and a

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half The hospital claims that the problem is not caused by surgical side effects.

[Interviewee, a cosmetic surgery clinic doctor] When I examined the interior condition, it was completely shattered. She came in with an incomprehensible level of damage level... had I performed such surgery, I wouldnt have the courage to run a cosmetic surgery clinic and I just couldnt do it.

Recently, the Gangnam region has seen nine such demonstrations, protesting cosmetic surgery side effects. 9 . [: ] " , , 1 , ." 1/3 3 . . 58 58 . [Interviewee, a Seoul Gangnam Police Official] Lawsuits are time consuming and costly, so one-person protests and demonstrations are waged in order to solve disputes between the parties involved. More than 300, that is, one third of Koreas cosmetic surgery clinics, are currently in operation in Seouls Gangnam region. Many of them are run by non-cosmetic surgery specialists, which prompts heightened concern regarding medical malpractice. Indeed, there have been 58 cosmetic surgeryrelated complaints received by the Consumer Protection Bureau last year, but this year 58 complaints were received during just the first half of the year. The number of cosmetic surgery side effects is increasing due to the ongoing cosmetic surgery rage. Specialists advise that in order to minimize the damage, one must receive cosmetic

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surgery from a specialist and consult with the specialist before the surgery about possible aftereffects and side effects from the surgery. For YTN, this is Lee Seungyoon. September 7, 2006