Neighborhood scalpels to beautify local faces

Medical and cosmetic surgery services from South Korea are expected to become more widely available in China as a result of the bilateral free trade agreement or FTA that took effect on Sunday.

Under the agreement, doctors who are licensed in South Korea, including plastic surgeons, can work in China for six months to a year. This could mean Chinese customers may be able to get door-to-door cosmetic surgery services from South Korean doctors.

In the past five years, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea for medical tours surged twentyfold, with about 25,000 people traveling annually. Nearly 70 percent went to South Korea for cosmetic surgeries, according to South Korean statistics.