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First Lt. Kim, a platoon leader at a front-line South Korean Army unit in the capital region, faced a unique command challenge early this year. He excluded a corporal from critical cold-weather training because the soldier returned from leave with a swollen, unhealed nose from a rhinoplasty procedure.
"I was flustered because he underwent a nose job without saying a word right before the training," Kim said.
He added that he sidelined the soldier out of fear that the unhealed wound would cause medical complications in the field.
Kim's dilemma is not an isolated incident. A growing trend of elective cosmetic surgery among active duty Korean soldiers, fueled by rising military pay and aggressive clinic marketing, is causing operational disruptions, exposing a critical gap in military regulations.
The trend is also triggering resentment among peers who must cover the workload while recovering soldiers receive special accommodations.
Soldiers on leave walk along a platform at Seoul Station to board a train. Yonhap
Plastic surgery in the military is not new. Historically, units tolerated the practice when soldiers used long leaves in their final months of service to undergo procedures to prepare for transitioning back to civilian life. However, the demographic has shifted drastically.
While the military lacks official statistics on soldiers getting surgery, the shift is highly visible in the private sector, as soldiers flood online clinic boards with inquiries regarding recovery times and costs.
"Two to three active duty soldiers visit weekly for eye or nose consultations," said Choi, a 38-year-old consultation manager at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam district.
Source: Korea Times News
