Chinese women protest failed plastic surgery treatments in South Korea
Chinese women have taken to the streets of Seoul to protest against failed plastic surgery treatments they received while abroad.
Originally posted by Tencent at the end of September, the news shares the horror stories that the women experienced while receiving plastic surgery treatment in South Korea.
For at least two days, the women stood in public areas with high-visibility such as Myeongdong and held posters graphically representing the trickery they experienced. Others even revealed that they were locked in a dark room, had their passports seized, and taken away by police.
After these failed operations, some of the women have already made multiple trips back and forth between China and Korea, investing substantial time and money into this process. The women hope that the hospitals will be responsible for the mistreatments and for this issue to catch attention so that it will not happen again.
According to the article, in 2014, 56,000 Chinese traveled to Korea in order to undergo plastic surgery. New statistics released in March show that this number has been going up 10-15% yearly. The proliferation of these unsafe treatments, language and culture barriers, geographic distance, and lack of access to due process are just some factors that contribute to this tragedy and its standstill.
Zhou Jun realized much too late that following a jaw surgery, her teeth became misaligned and has been unable to eat properly. This is already her fourth time coming back to South Korea. While legally protesting against the hospital, she experienced violence from the staff there.
In 2010, Chen Yi Li spent 15,000 RMB only to end up with a crooked nose, mismatched lips, and stiff cheek muscles. It is as if she has aged ten years, as she cries while retelling this story.
The 45-year old Chen Jian Rong is another victim who ended up with one eye larger than the other, resulting in a lackluster gaze. She too has hit the streets of Myeongdong to protest.
V’s teeth also were left misaligned – she can no longer eat nor speak properly and suffers from trauma following the results of her failed plastic surgery. Because of this, she has hidden herself in society, keeping her head down as she travels through the subway.
In a country which places high importance on the benefits of plastic surgery, every surface is plastered with advertisements for them. The Chinese are becoming a bigger and bigger market for these surgeries, taking up a 70% ratio as compared to other foreigners.
The cities boast 500 hospitals in Seoul and 300 in Gangnam, with Chinese clients making up a large portion of two-thirds of these establishments. In fact, many now have signs and promotional materials in Chinese to accommodate this language barrier.
Source: Tencent
