Chinese embassy warns of plastic surgery risks in South Korea
Staff Reporter 2013-07-27 09:40
A cosmetic surgery clinic in Seoul. (File photo/Xinhua)
As the number of Chinese citizens traveling to South Korea for plastic surgery increases, the Chinese embassy in the country has warned that people should choose their travel agencies and surgical clinics with care and sign contracts to protect their rights, according to the Chinese-language Yangzhou Evening News.
South Korea has over 1,400 registered cosmetic surgery clinics which received over 150,000 clients from other countries in 2012. Nearly one third of these clients were from China.
The popularity of Korean cosmetic surgery expertise among people in China has given rise to a number of incidents and disputes however over the results of the procedures, as well as the clinics' fees and involving the travel agencies who arranged the trip and the surgery as a package. Some of the clinics were found to be unqualified to perform surgery and some travel agencies have been accused of running scams. Many Chinese clients said they also had inadequate understanding and knowledge about the procedures they underwent.
The embassy urged Chinese citizens to choose their clinic carefully before going under the knife. They should sign a contract with selected clinics and seek legal channels to protect their rights if disputes arise. People who plan to undergo cosmetic surgery in South Korea should go to reputable clinics and research these clinics beforehand through agencies or the internet.
As many surgical procedures involve advanced medical terminology and knowledge, this makes it difficult for Chinese clients to communicate effectively with South Korean doctors even if they can speak basic Korean or English. They should select experienced travel agencies with medical knowledge to help them communicate with the clinics, the embassy said.
