A patient about to undergo plastic surgery in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo/Xinhua)
Eleven illegal brokers in South Korea's plastic surgery industry have been detained and more than 150 others have been banned from leaving the country on suspicion of engaging in unlawful practices, South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported on Tuesday.
The 11 brokers are mainly Chinese and South Korean-Chinese, said the police. They posted advertisements on the Internet claiming to help find best plastic surgery clinics in South Korea.
According to the police, the brokers are unregistered and they charged exorbitant fees and introduced the patients to unqualified doctors.
One of the suspects introduced 53 Chinese clients to plastic surgery hospitals in Gangnam district and Seodaemun district of Seoul from January 2013 to April 2015, earning 1.47 million yuan ($237,000) as commission. Investigation shows that some clinics paid the accused more than 90 percent of the surgery cost.
The profits made by the rest ranged from 392,000 yuan to 560,000 yuan.
Some charged extremely high commission from the patients. A Chinese woman paid 1.12 million yuan for a breast augmentation surgery whereas the original cost was 36,400 yuan.
The list of the 150 brokers who have been banned from leaving the country was found on account books of some plastic surgery clinics during police's investigations at Gangnam district, a high-profile neighborhood packed with luxury shops and a growing list of plastic surgeons. One of the suspects was captured when he tried to flee to China on May 21.
The involvement of illegal brokers would increase the cost for patients while lowering the medical quality, said the authorities.
In February, the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a crackdown on illegal brokers and unregistered clinics, following a series of cases involving accidents with plastic surgery.
New measures require all medical practices that deal with foreign patients - and any brokers they use to attract the clients - to register with the ministry. Those who fail to do so are liable to a hefty fine and, in the worst case, a prison term of up to three years.
South Korea is famous for its plastic surgery, which has resulted in spectacular rise in the number of Chinese traveling to their neighboring country to seek better looks in recent years.
According to the latest figures from the Chinese Association of Plastics and Aesthetics, some 56,000 Chinese traveled there last year to go under the knife for cosmetic reasons – a considerable rise on the 16,000 who traveled the year before, according to South Korean health ministry numbers.
