False promotions for plastic surgery

Online promoters of cosmetic surgery clinics who claim to have gone through plastic surgery are not to be taken at face value, according to the latest court judgment Monday.

The Busan District Court found two online community leaders, respectively surnamed Lee and Song, guilty of falsely advertising cosmetic surgery clinics by pretending to have received procedures there, bagging a total of 600 million won ($510,000) in return.

The court said that many patients who contemplate cosmetic surgery make their decisions through online tips, and that the accused had spread distorted information that damaged the fairness of medical services. 

(123RF)

Lee and Song were given 10 months and six months in prison, respectively, with two years of probation. 

Six cosmetic surgeons who paid for the false promotion were each fined between 3 million won and 5 million won for violations of medical law.

Their licenses remain unaffected, and a month’s suspension of clinical operations can also be paid off, allowing the surgeons to see patients freely upon settling the fines.

To this lenient punishments, the public is voicing concerns and calls for transparency in media reports to reveal the names of the clinics.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)