By Park Ung
Cars, ships and semiconductors have long dominated Koreaโs list of major exports. Then, cultural content such as K-pop, dramas and foods became major attractions for foreigners.
But with a surge in medical tourists, a new contender has been rapidly gaining ground: plastic surgery. In 2023, 114,074 foreigners visited Seoul for cosmetic enhancements.
Among the diverse international clientele drawn to the city for plastic surgery this year was Nguyen Thi Huyen, a 26-year-old marketer from Vietnam.
โI had facial contouring surgery to make my jawline slimmer. That included cheekbone reduction, jaw angle reduction and chin reshaping,โ she says, adding that several of her Vietnamese friends also came to Seoul for cosmetic procedures.
โKorea has long been known as a plastic surgery powerhouse to us. These days, itโs common to see young Vietnamese women in their 20s posting on social media about wanting to look like K-pop stars such as Jang Won-young [of girl group IVE] or Karina [of Aespa],โ she says.