Gen Z soldiers' plastic surgeries strain Korea's military readiness - The Korea Times
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Gen Z soldiers' plastic surgeries strain Korea's military readiness<br>ListenListen<br>Text Size<br>Print
By Hankookilbo Published May 11, 2026 2:37 pm KST
Front-line commanders struggle with post-surgery duty exemptions<br>An image generated by artificial intelligence
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.<br>"I was flustered because he underwent a nose job without saying a word right before the training," Kim said.<br>He added that he sidelined the soldier out of fear that the unhealed wound would cause medical complications in the field.<br>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.<br>The trend is also triggering resentment among peers who must cover the workload while recovering soldiers receive special accommodations.<br>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.<br>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.<br>"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.<br>A more flexible military culture, changing generational values and significant pay increases are driving the surge. Cpl. Choi, a 22-year-old soldier interviewed at a Gangnam clinic May 4, said he saved his monthly salary for months to afford the procedure.<br>“I saved my 1.2 million won ($815) monthly salary for several months to get eyelid surgery, even avoiding the PX,” he said. PX refers to post exchange, a store for consumer goods and services located on military bases.<br>Clinics aggressively target these recruits using slick ads on social media, offering military discounts and advice on using private health insurance. When the Hankook Ilbo visited a clinic in Gangnam and claimed to be an active duty soldier, the clinic offered a 40 percent discount.<br>A plastic surgery clinic offers a discount promotion targeting active duty soldiers. Captured from social media
The operational strain on commanders is mounting. A second lieutenant stationed at a unit in the Chungcheong region recently excluded a soldier from night guard duty after the soldier returned with severely swollen eyes from double eyelid surgery.<br>"I had no choice but to take him out considering safety," the lieutenant said. "In the end, we had to readjust duty groups with other personnel."<br>Commanders also face parental interference. Capt. Park, a company commander at a front-line Army unit in Gangwon Province, received a phone call in March from a soldier's mother. She requested her son be excluded from trench maintenance because his eyelid surgery remained unhealed.<br>"It can set a bad precedent, so it is difficult to accommodate unconditionally, but if something goes wrong, officers can take responsibility, so I was in a difficult position," Park said.<br>He noted considerable dissatisfaction among the soldiers forced to fill the gaps.<br>An image generated by artificial intelligence
Despite these disruptions, commanders lack clear rules to sanction or manage elective surgery recovery. The Framework Act on Military Status and Service and unit management directives lack specific regulations addressing the issue.<br>Choi Gi-il, a military studies professor at Sangji University, stressed the need for systematic management measures to protect the military's combat readiness while considering the values of a changing generation.<br>"The military must prevent cases in which soldiers miss training or unit activities because of lingering effects from surgery," Choi said.<br>This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.