This is “North Korea Market Trends,”
bringing you news about the North Korean economy every week. This week we sat
down with reporter Kang Mi Jin to discuss North Korea’s plastic surgery culture;
but first, let’s take a look at how the market did this past week.*
A kg of rice cost 5650 KPW in Pyongyang, 5800
KPW in Sinuiju, and 6100 KPW in Hyesan. The exchange rate was 8250 KPW to the
dollar at Pyongyang, 8200 KPW at Sinuiju, and 8360 KPW at Hyesan. A kg of corn kernels cost 2200 KPW at Pyongyang, 2250 KPW at Sinuiju, and 2300 KPW at
Hyesan. A kg of pork cost 15,000 KPW at Pyongyang and Sinuiju, and 15500 KPW at
Hyesan. A kg of gasoline cost 10000 KPW at Pyongyang and Sinuiju, and 9500 KPW
at Hyesan. A kg of diesel cost 5900 KPW at Pyongyang, 6000 KPW at Sinuiju, and 6200
KPW at Hyesan. This has been Weekly Marketplace Prices.
1. It seems that prices have risen this
week. During the summer break, lots of female university students in South
Korea take this time to get plastic surgery. Today, we will discuss plastic
surgery on the other side of the DMZ with Kang Mi Jin.
As you stated, many female students as well
as older women choose to get plastic surgery during the summer. There are many
types of procedures for different parts of the body available in South Korea,
such as on the face, chest, and legs. However, plastic surgery in North Korea
is unsophisticated in that double eyelid surgery, which is a very minor
procedure in South Korea, is the procedure that is most performed in North
Korea. I’m sure this sounds strange to South Koreans, who have a large variety
of procedures available to them.
2. To list the complete list of procedures
available in South Korea would take a long time. If double eyelid surgery is
indeed the predominant procedure in North Korea, then perhaps that is the only
procedure available in North Korea. Are other procedures offered in North Korea?
It is fair to say that no other procedures
other than double eyelid surgery are offered in North Korea. Although permanent
makeup for eyebrows and lips are available, this is classified as tattooing in South
Korea. The cost of imprints is similar all throughout North Korea. Cosmetic
tattooing for lips usually costs between 25000 and 30000 KPW. A standard double
eyelid surgery costs 20000 KPW, and a surgery of slightly higher quality will
cost 25000 KPW.
Although the sophistication of plastic
surgery in North Korea is a trifle compared to that of South Korea, the number
of North Korea women seeking plastic surgery is increasing. When I lived in North
Korea, the cost of double eyelid surgery was 3000 to 5000 KPW in 2005. At that
time, a kg of rice cost about 1200 KPW, which meant that the procedure could be
bought for the price of 3 to 4 kilograms of rice. Currently, a kg of rice is
sold for 6000 KPW, but the procedure still costs 3 to 4 kilograms of rice. To
say that North Korea’s price index is anchored to the price of rice would be
correct.
3. In South Korea, many try to hide the
fact that they received plastic surgery. What is the attitude of North Koreans
towards plastic surgery?
In North Korea, the thought that a woman
has to look pretty to marry a person with decent prospects has recently begun
to take root, especially among female university students. Therefore, the
number of women seeking plastic surgery is increasing. In South Korea, women
try not to show that they received plastic surgery. However, it is different in
North Korea. People do not make fun of those who have received plastic surgery,
so that there is no need to try to hide the fact. In fact, some women will
openly admit that they want plastic surgery.
The view among North Koreans that women should
be pretty is a consequence of the profusion of South Korean dramas and movies.
In reality, if Ri Sol Ju was not pretty, is it likely that she have become
Kim’s wife? Refugees corroborate that such views are now common, and that the
main attraction for plastic surgery is the greater chances of attracting a
better marriage partner, particularly one with money and power.
3-1 Now I remember it being commented that
women’s fashions changed considerably following Ri Sol Ju’s entry into public
life.
That is true. A woman I know in her 40s wears
makeup. She said that wearing pretty clothes and putting on makeup isn’t
limited only to the young, and older people can do likewise. She also tells me
that clothes with brooches are particularly popular; it is also her view that
the change in women’s fashions is due to Ri’s influence. For instance, women
are not derided for wearing skirts that are cut above the knee. Previously,
such clothes were forbidden because they were considered to be harbingers of
capitalism delinquency, and therefore anti-socialist.
4. Are the plastic surgery departments
frequented by North Korean women affiliated with individual operations or state-run
hospitals?
North Korean hospitals don’t have a
separate department for plastic surgery; plastic surgery is performed in the
surgical department of general hospitals. It is also performed by unlicensed
individuals who are not doctors. Plastic surgery began to come in demand around
2000 after North Koreans traveled to China on short-term visas and brought
these practices and knowledge of trends back with them, particularly to the
border regions to the border regions with them. Even now, plastic surgery is
performed by unlicensed practitioners and hospital surgical departments.
5. That is surprising. Does this mean that
there are personal doctors in North Korea?
Yes and no. Previously, personal doctors in North Korea aren’t those
who are trained and licensed to practice, but instead use home remedies. The
so-called private surgeons are private individuals who are not professional
doctors and who operate at home. Imagine just how well such surgeries are
performed, especially when the surgeon is untrained and has no proper medical equipment.
Consequently, side effects are all too common, and those who are affected have
no means of recourse. In South Korea, if a doctor makes a mistake, the patient
can sue for damages from the hospital, but such solutions are nonexistent in North
Korea. The same goes for plastic surgeries performed in hospitals that have
gone wrong. The main comfort is that because double eyelid surgery is the main
procedure available, which is in itself a minor procedure, the harm that can
result is fairly limited.
5-1. Sources say that much of medical
equipment in North Korea is worn out. What happens if a procedure performed at
home presents side effects?
As you said, North Korea’s medical equipment
is very outdated. Only hospitals that are particularly well known, especially
those under Kim Jong Un’s patronage, receive the most up-to-date equipment. The
equipment in almost all commonplace hospitals is very old. Although a
relatively simple procedure like double eyelid surgery doesn’t require sophisticated
medical equipment, due to the equipment’s age, side effects are quite common.
If general hospitals cannot safely carry out such a simple procedure, it is
then no surprise that procedures performed at home have even worse side effects.
For instance, a fellow defector told me that the anesthesia used in her procedure
was bought from a hospital, and from the market, where home-made anesthesia
can be procured. The anesthesia wore off before the procedure was complete, so
that she suffered much pain. Plus, distilled salt water was used as a
disinfectant because proper disinfectant was unavailable. After she came to South
Korea, she had the procedure re-done.
6. North Koreans must have a lot of
complaints against such home surgeons. Are there any regulations on these illegal
procedures?
According to North Koreans, even though
these illegal procedures are readily available, they are not the target of
specific restrictions or crackdowns. Plus, compensation is not paid out even if
the procedure is not performed correctly. When I lived in North Korea, I knew a
woman in my village, in her 30s, who was a house surgeon and offered plastic
surgery. She had a medical knife bought from a doctor, and sterilized it by
immersing it in boiling water. Despite the stark condition of plastic surgery
offered by unlicensed individuals, the Ministry of People’s Security [MPS] has
not cracked down on them. Consequently, the number of people trying to earn
some money by performing medical procedures is not decreasing.
7. You said that the number of women seeking
plastic surgery is increasing yearly. What is the reason?
Don’t all women have an intrinsic desire to
become more beautiful? Most North Korean women believe such a desire to be
intuitive. A woman I knew in North Korea had her looks improve after receiving double
eyelid surgery so much so that her friends tried to get the surgery as well.
This reminds me of what my friends told me once. When I was younger, I used to
have naturally occurring double or even triple eyelids, so that my friends
would jokingly ask for a spare eyelid. These anecdotes show that double eyelid
is very sought after among North Korean women. Moreover, according to our
sources, the stabilization of the economy in the 2000s has also contributed to
the increase in the number of women getting plastic surgery.
8. The desire to as attractive as possible
is common to women in both South Korea and North Korea. As we have discussed, North
Korea women try to improve their appearance through plastic surgery and new
fashions. What are other methods by which they are trying to do so?
That is an excellent question. Even I was
surprised by the recent news which said that earrings, necklaces, bracelets,
and other accessories have become quite popular. Particularly trendy are
earrings that are circularly shaped. Although accessories from China are
popular, they can’t compete in looks or quality with those from South Korea. In
fact, customers will specifically ask sellers for South Korean accessories. Even
though the North Korean authorities prohibit the selling of South Korean goods,
the selling of accessories from South Korea isn’t difficult. The reason is that
the country of origin for accessories is difficult to prove because they don’t
have price tags; therefore, people can buy and sell South Korea accessories without
too much worry.
The thought of women trying to enhance
their looks during this hot summer makes me smile.
*This segment reflects conditions for the week of August 17th-21st.
