AsiaNews Magazine Jan10-16,2014 ( Jan 1-7,2014) | Page 64

COVER STORY

January 10-16, 2014

really that ugly. In those cases, I
found that the students or their
parents are immature,” he said.
Kim added that those parents
tend to subliminally think that
women “cannot survive unless
they are pretty”.
Chun Sang-chin, professor of
sociology at Sogang University,
attributed the mounting interest in
one’s looks to intensified competition within the society. He said
the elements of competition are
now seen in relationships between
friends and even spouses, which
have traditionally belonged in the
realm of intimacy.
Chun’s interpretation is in line
with the typical Korean concept
that “looks can give you a competitive edge.” But why does such competition start so early?
“People are seeking to become
competent as early as possible. The
teenage years used to be a ‘moratorium’ period (for such social com-

petition), but not anymore,” he said.
As more teenagers rush to alter their looks, even plastic surgeons are voicing their concerns
about the potential dangers of
going under the knife too young.
“For [plastic surgery procedures on] your eyes, you have
to be at least in your second
or third year in middle school.
And for nose jobs, high school
at least,” said Kim Jee-wook of
Spropose Plastic Surgery, adding
that he would not recommend
that youngsters surgically alter
their skeletal structure.
He said the best age to go for
surgery would be after the Korean age of 20—or 19, as age is determined in the West.
In light of underage plastic
surgery becoming a social issue,
Saenuri lawmaker Lee Jae-young
in January proposed a bill that
would ban plastic surgery for
those under the age of 19.

The still-pending bill touched
off controversy about whether the
state has a say in a person’s decision to alter his or her looks. Opponents of the bill say that if the
country bans plastic surgery and
does not address the problem of
people placing too much emphasis
on appearance, the law is only going to instigate illegal practices.
Plastic surgeons concur that l
egislation is not an ideal way to
deal with the issue of underage
plastic surgery.
Rather, students and their parents must take precautions and ask
themselves: do I really need this surgery? After all, even though plastic
surgeons can change a person’s face,
make them thinner, or even make
them look younger, they are not
miracle workers.
“Plastic surgery is not magic. People must not expect for it to change
them completely,” said Kim Dong-ha
of BEFOR Plastic Surgical Clinic.