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S.Korea TV show cuts to the bone in name of beauty

Thu Dec 4, 6:07 AM ET

SEOUL (Reuters) - From liposuction to jaw reconstruction surgery, three women will undertake a 100-day makeover in a controversial new South Korean cable television show starting next week.

Using surgery to enhance your looks is already very common in South Korea (news - web sites), where many resort to plastic surgery to make their eyes bigger, noses more shapely and even their calves slimmer.

A spokesman for Donga TV, the cable company behind the programme, which follows in the footsteps of a similar ABC television show "Extreme Makeover" in the United States, said the operations would cost 50 million won (26,000 pounds or $42,000) per person. Hospitals will sponsor the surgery.

The cable company said more than 1,200 people applied to take part in the show, which has come under attack from civic groups even before the airing of the first episode on Monday.

"The idea of changing a woman from head to toe to make her more beautiful will mean our society attaches greater importance to appearance rather than other virtues," said Kim Tae-hyun of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, a media watchdog.

Others simply felt that television companies were trying to cash in on a vulnerability in South Korean society.

"In South Korean society there is a widespread belief, especially among young people, when it comes to finding proper jobs, beauty or physical attraction is more important", said Choi Byung-il of the Citizens United for a Better Society civic group.