North Korean women want to look beautiful just like those in South Korea, so they undergo cosmetic surgery such as double eyelid surgery, Botox, eyebrow tattoos, and skin whitening treatments.
Choi, who defected in 2013, recently stated that cosmetic surgery was quite popular in North Korea. Although it’s been over 10 years since she left North Korea, so she’s not familiar with the current situation, the ongoing popularity of cosmetic surgery in North Korea has been confirmed through recent legislation.
On Thursday, 38 North reported that a North Korean legal database accessed last year revealed the country enacted a cosmetic surgery regulation law in 2016.
According to 38 North, on November 23, 2016, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly passed the Cosmetic Surgery Treatment Law, which underwent two revisions in 2019 and 2024. The law was reportedly amended again last year, suggesting an ongoing need to improve regulations related to cosmetic surgery.
This legislation primarily restricts where cosmetic surgeries can take place and the conditions under which they can be performed. Experts believe these provisions aim to curb the widespread occurrence of illegal procedures.
In 2019, Daily NK reported that two individuals were arrested for conducting illegal facial surgeries and were ultimately executed.
The law allows for cosmetic surgeries to correct congenital deformities, trauma, burns, tumors, and inflammatory diseases.
Furthermore, cosmetic surgeries can only be performed at specialized plastic surgery hospitals, central hospitals, and designated plastic surgery clinics, and only by qualified medical professionals with plastic surgery expertise.
Because specialized plastic surgery hospitals are rare in North Korea, it is known that unofficial cosmetic surgeries often occur in ophthalmology or general surgery departments. Although the country maintains nominal free medical care, reports indicate that ophthalmologists will perform cosmetic surgery if paid a bribe.
According to NK News, the cost of double eyelid surgery in the 1990s was equivalent to two packs of cigarettes. A defector also reported that the price for double eyelid surgery from a specialist in Pyongyang ranged from $10 to $15.
In response, Choi explained that only a small elite can afford to receive cosmetic surgery from doctors. Most people learn techniques from Chinese practitioners or bring in equipment from China to perform procedures at home. When she was in North Korea, the cost of double eyelid surgery performed at home was around $2 to $3.
The North Korean authorities seem to have introduced the cosmetic surgery treatment law to regulate these practices and bring cosmetic surgery into the formal system. The inclusion of provisions that allow cosmetic surgery for aesthetic purposes suggests that North Korea recognizes the need to address people’s demands to manage public sentiment.
38 North stated that the cosmetic surgery regulation law indicates that the state is developing cosmetic surgery to enable citizens to enjoy a happy and civilized life with healthy and beautiful appearances, which is a unique requirement of the nation’s socialism centered on the masses.
The law also reportedly includes a provision stating that the state must continuously develop cosmetic surgeries to help enhance citizens’ appearance, promoting health and beauty.
Additionally, the cosmetic surgery treatment law prohibits the complete alteration of one’s appearance or the alteration of fingerprints. This reflects the North Korean authorities’ vigilance regarding biosecurity.