Chinese embassy warns of plastic surgery risks in South Korea after liposuction death

Reuters could not immediately reach a representative of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons to seek comment outside business hours.

The embassy asked citizens to be wary of advertising and take note of the risks, while choosing intermediaries carefully and checking the legitimacy of medical institutions or surgeons, signing clear contracts and retaining full records.

Model’s liposuction death puts spotlight on risks of visiting shady salons

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

Such a precaution would help avoid complications with check-in or subsequent entry and exit procedures, it said.

South Korea had 2,718 plastic surgeons in 2022, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, a number similar to China’s estimated 3,000 surgeons, despite a population that is 28 times the size of South Korea’s.