K-beauty

MANILA, Philippines - Part of the appeal of K-pop lies in the stars’ impossibly perfect features. Along with slick videos and songs with feel-good beats, K-pop idols look stunning – with clear, luminous complexions, aquiline noses, doe-like eyes and slender figures.

Most if not all of them have a secret weapon – cosmetic surgery, and credit goes to the best cosmetic clinics in Korea.

“One of the reasons why K-pop groups are charming and healthy is because they frequent the health and beauty centers in Korea,” Korean Cultural Center director Hwang Seung-Un told guests at the recently held “Beauty and Wellness in Korea” mini fair in Forbes Park, Makati.

The fair aims to promote Korea as a premiere medical, beauty and wellness destination for Filipino tourists seeking the best cosmetic surgeries and medical procedures.

When it comes to cosmetic nip tucks, K-pop stars are not coy about the procedures they’ve had, sharing their experiences on national television.

Kyuhyun of the boy band Super Junior admitted to having double eyelid surgery on the program “Beatles Code,” while Bora, a member of the four piece K-pop group Sistar, also confessed to going under the knife for double eyelid surgery.

Most K-pop groups also frequent clinics in Seoul for skin maintenance. Even the six-pack abs of Korean actors and K-pop stars are surgically-enhanced through a procedure called high-definition figure sculpture.

Korean superstar Lee Minho of “Boys Over Flowers” and “City Hunter” is no stranger to cosmetic surgery. His poster, along that of Korean actress Ha Ji Won, hangs at the posh Arumdaun Nara, one of the top dermatology and plastic surgery clinics in Seoul, proof that Minho is an avid client.

“There is no stigma attached to cosmetic surgery in Korea. It’s socially acceptable. It’s the norm, it’s the trend,” Arumdaun Nara chairman and president Lee Sang Jun tells STARweek. Lee was at the fair, hoping to lure Filipino tourists to his clinic.

He says it’s common for young people in Korea, both girls and boys, to have cosmetic surgery right after graduating from high school. Parents are very supportive of their children’s desire to improve their looks.

“In Korea, parents prepare for two things: their child’s tuition fees and cosmetic procedures. Parents work notoriously long hours to fund their children’s education and plastic surgeries. They even give their children vouchers or gift certificates for cosmetic surgeries,” Lee shares.

Perceptions toward cosmetic surgery have changed over the last 30 years.

“Before, people were mum about it but now they talk about it and swap recommendations on who the best surgeons are. As life spans become longer in Korea, more people want to age gracefully and they resort to plastic surgery to delay the process of aging. Young people, on the other hand, want to look good, it’s not a big deal for them to go under the knife. Cosmetic surgery has become as common as having a haircut,” Lee says.

The most popular procedures in Korea are the double-eye lid and rhinoplasty, he added.

Lee said his foreign clients, who come from China, Russia and other parts of Europe, vouch for the efficiency of the cosmetic surgeries.

“Korea boasts of some of the world’s finest hospitals and clinics with highly-qualified doctors. Being the leader in technology, Korea has the most advanced and state-of-the-art laser equipment and cutting-edge facilities in skin care treatments,” he says.

Sanyong Zhu, director of Korea Tourism Oganization (KTO) in Manila, agrees with Lee, attesting to the highest quality of medical services in Korea.

“When it comes to the field of health care services, I would say that Korea is emerging as a competitive country, providing the highest quality medical services with highly educated and experienced doctors, the latest facilities and with reasonable prices as well,” Sanyong says.

Medical tourism in Korea has grown by leaps and bounds, Sangyong says.

“In 2007, there were 16,000 foreign medical tourists to Korea, but five years later, the traffic has increased to 155,673 in 2012,” he explains. “Medical tourism in Korea is forecast to grow continuously and reach one million tourists in the year 2020. Among the visitors from the total of 189 countries, Chinese and American visitors were the most at 24 per cent and 23 percent, respectively.”

“We call this new phenomenon Medical Hallyu,” he adds, referring to the K-pop “wave” that has flooded the world.

Lee says that they offer cheaper prices than clinics in the US. A rhinoplasty at his clinic can cost around $2,500 while double eyelid surgery is priced from $1,500 to $2,000. Breast augmentation costs $5,000 to $8,000.

Arumdaun Nara, which means “beautiful land” in Korean, also offers wrinkle surgery, jaw reduction, fat surgery, including high-definition figure sculpture, liposuction and fat transfer. 

“In Korea, there is even this remedy that washing the face with used water from washing rice gives transparent and clear skin. Arumdaun Nara extracts the best ingredients and penetrates into the skin using ultrasonic waves.  This procedure is good for moisturizing and brightening and immensely popular with foreign customers,” Lee says.

Another well-known clinic in Korea is Chaum, an ultra-luxurious holistic center that is a medical clinic, destination spa and urban club.

Abraham Gu, Chaum’s global marketing chief, says Chaum is a life center where doctors devise a personalized health plan for clients that includes immunity enhancement, detoxification, lifestyle enhancement program, nutritional counseling and weight management for a complete transformation.

Among its famous clients are Korean President Park Gyeung-hye and celebrities So Ji Sub and Goo So Young. The procedures cost from $1,500 to $8,000. A full package can cost from $5,000 to $15,000 for a seven-day treatment.

The clinic also offers the world’s most advanced stem cell based therapies – Evercell. CHAdiform and Bio-Insurance technologies for antiaging and revitalization.

For traditional Korean healing, Beautiful Anguk Korean Medical Clinic offers acupuncture and other age-old methods of healing.

“Korean medicine is a medical practice based on humanity, focused on physical characteristics of the human body and its relationship with nature,” explains Choi Joori, doctor of Korean medicine and head of the clinic.

Olympic figure skater Kim Yu Na is said to frequent the clinic.

At the fair, representatives from the Asan Medical Center, Konyang University Hospital and the Seoul National University Hospital Gangnam Center gave presentations on the various medical services they offer.

“These hospitals have built a solid reputation for giving outstanding medical services in the fields of cardiology, cardiac surgery, oncology, neurology, orthopedics, stem-cell therapy, among other fields,” Lee says.

“Instead of going to the US for medical treatments where procedures are quite costly, why not go to Korea? Korea is a good alternative that offers the same level of service and efficiency as other Western countries,” he adds.