According to a survey on appearance and plastic surgeries in South Korea in 2020, female respondents in their 30s had the highest experience undergoing plastic surgery, followed by female respondents in their 20s. In total, around ** percent of respondents stated that they have had plastic surgery.

In 2024, around ******* foreign patients were at plastic and cosmetic surgery departments in South Korea. This represents a significant increase compared to the previous year, and it also shows it recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2020, the number of foreigners traveling to South Korea in order to access medical services related to plastic and cosmetic surgery had been steadily increasing, after international patients were first allowed in 2009.International patients travelling to South KoreaPatients from Japan and China made up the largest proportion of all foreign medical tourists to Korea, followed largely by patients from the United States and other parts of Asia or Eurasia, including Thailand, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Among Japanese patients, who accounted for around ** percent of all foreign patients, the share of female patients in their twenties and thirties visiting plastic surgery departments or dermatologists was high.K-beauty worldwideIn South Korea, beauty-related industries have developed greatly, with people generally very interested in beauty regardless of gender. According to a global survey, K-beauty was one of the most popular emerging trends of South Korea. People in Southeast Asia and the Middle East were especially interested in Korean beauty products, while Chinese people had a lot of interest in beauty services such as plastic surgery. Additionally, a significant number of respondents stated that good quality was the biggest factor in using Korean beauty products.

The South Korea plastic surgery market size was valued at USD 1.70 Billion in 2024, driven by the increasing popularity of K-Beauty standards. The market size is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 13.20% during the forecast period of 2025-2034 to achieve a value of USD 5.87 Billion by 2034.

In 2021, at ****** *********** had the highest number of plastic surgery per capita, this was followed by *********. In third place was ****** with **** plastic surgeries per 1,000 population. Even though the United States was the country with the highest number of surgical cosmetic procedures in total in 2021, the U.S. only ranked ***** in terms of number of plastic surgery per capita worldwide. In 2022, ****** has overtaken the U.S. for the highest number of surgical cosmetic procedures worldwide.

In 2023, South Korean women weighed, on average, around ***** kilograms. Women across all age categories tended to have similar weight averages, apart from women aged 80 years and older, who weighed significantly less. The average height for women aged 39 years or younger that year was around *** centimeters. South Korean beauty standards The perception of beauty is generally heavily influenced by the media's portrayed image thereof. South Korean media promotes a limited one, namely the "thin ideal". Due to the goal of coming closer to the slim model, most South Korean women have tried to go on a diet. Additionally, most female respondents stated that weight control was the leading reason for participating in sports. For many researchers, the idealization of a thin body has lead has led to rising numbers of eating disorder cases and distorted self-images of young women. The growing plastic surgery market The share of people having undergone plastic surgery procedures is rising every year. According to a 2020 survey, women aged between 20 to 39 years represented the highest share of respondents who underwent plastic surgery. South Koreans showed the highest interest in double-eyelid surgery, followed by rhinoplasty. These procedures align with the beauty ideal of having big, double-lidded eyes and a high-bridged, pointy nose. Besides conveying a wealthy image, plastic surgery is also used to improve chances of finding a job and getting married. About ** percent of South Koreans think that it is acceptable to get plastic surgery for this reason.