‘Deaths have occurred’: Chinese embassy warns against plastic surgery in Korea

China’s embassy in Seoul warned its citizens of the dangers of getting plastic surgery in Korea, after a Chinese woman in her 20s died this month after receiving liposuction surgery at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam.

Pictured is a surgeon marking a patient for liposuction, unrelated to the story. [SHUTTERSTOCK]

China’s embassy in Seoul warned its citizens of the dangers of getting plastic surgery in Korea, after a Chinese woman in her 20s died this month after receiving liposuction surgery at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam.

“In recent years, many foreigners have come to South Korea for cosmetic surgery, and some people have been involved in medical disputes and surgical failures and even deaths have occurred,” the Chinese embassy said, according to Reuters on Friday.

The embassy’s advisory through its WeChat account cautioned Chinese citizens to carefully choose intermediary agencies, be wary of advertising and risks, pursue rational legal recourse in the case of medical disputes, and strictly adhere to standardized medical institutions, procedures and surgeons.

The embassy also reminded citizens to sign a clear contract and retain full medical records.

"If there is a major change in [your] postoperative appearance, or if you are still in the postoperative recovery stage, you should bring the surgical certificate when you leave the country," the embassy added.

The notice comes after a Chinese woman died on Jan. 10 after receiving liposuction surgery three times at a clinic in Gangnam, southern Seoul, as reported by Yonhap on Wednesday with police citations. The woman experienced severe pain days after the surgeries, leading to an emergency hospital visit.

The family of the deceased woman filed a complaint against the clinic, for alleged negligence in causing harm and death. Korean authorities are investigating the matter and conducted a post-mortem examination on Thursday to determine the exact cause of death, according to Yonhap. Korea is one of the world’s most popular destinations for medical tourism, many of whom come from China and the United States, according to German data collector Statista. Korea’s plastic surgery market size was valued at $1.5 billion in 2023, based on data from U.S. market researcher Expert Market Research.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s data on foreigners receiving clinical treatment in Korea, 248,110 patients visited Korea in 2022 for medical purposes. Among those patients, 46,314 people came to undergo plastic surgery, the second largest number after those who came for internal medicine reasons.

Patients from Japan, Thailand and Vietnam frequented plastic surgery clinics the most. Chinese nationals sought out treatment in internal medicine the most, followed by dermatology and then plastic surgery.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]