[Ferry Disaster] Gov’t criticized over ‘amateur’ response

Published : 2014-04-18 16:15
Updated : 2014-04-18 18:48

A flower and notes wishing for the safe return of missing students from Wednesday’s ferry sinking are attached to a window at Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)

As pessimism loomed over search-and-rescue operations for possible survivors on the Sewol on Friday, criticism mounted over the government’s response to the fatal incident.

The families of the victims who lost their lives or went missing on the Sewol blasted the government for allegedly inflating the number of rescuers, and begged for more efforts to save the more than 200 people who are still unaccounted for.

“On Thursday, we finally visited the scene but we saw fewer than 200 people working on the search operation,” they said in a joint statement. “But the government lied at 9 a.m., saying that more than 550 workers, 121 helicopters and 69 ships were supporting the search-and-rescue work.”

Late Thursday, a group of civilian divers complained to the media that the Coast Guard was not letting them take part in the rescue operation.

The main concern of the officials, appears to have been safety of the divers. Bad weather and a minor incident earlier in the day when three civilian divers nearly went missing in the water may have reinforced their concerns.

The distrust toward the state officials’ ability to cope with the disaster, however, has been growing since the day of the incident.

Even as the ferry started to capsize early Wednesday, government officials failed to realize the severity of the situation. A false report that most of the passengers have been rescued led to the false belief that it was a minor incident.

An official from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said the reports President Park Geun-hye received were not much more detailed than the information that was going around via media.

The failure to acquire precise information led to a belated response. The government doubled the number of helicopters and ships around 3 p.m., more than four hours after the vessel had gone underwater.

Experts say that the first 30 minutes to one hour after a massive-scale accident are critical in a rescue operation.

Although the president ordered a coordinated effort from all ministries, a concrete chain of command was missing in the initial stages of the search operation. A pan-government response center, led by Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, was established more than a day after the accident had occurred.

Adding to the confusion were te contradicting reports from different state-run bodies.

The government initially received a report from the central command center that 368 of 477 people had been rescued, and 107 were unaccounted for. The information was made public around 2 p.m. Wednesday. The Coast Guard, however, reported that the numbers were incorrect.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@eraldcorp.com)

• [Ferry Disaster] ‘Survivor’ messages from ferry are fake: police
• [Ferry Disaster] Families of victims lambaste government, rescue staff
• [Ferry Disaster] P.M. Chung to stay in Mokpo to support rescue efforts
• [Ferry Disaster] Diver blasts ‘lack of state effort’ in rescue operation

[Ferry Disaster] 'We are fighting against the state' As hours pass with no more survivors found, anxious families lash out at government

A family member of one of the missing passengers of the sunken Sewol weeps at Paengmok harbor on Jindo Island, Jeolla Province, Friday. (Yonhap)

JINDO, South Jeolla Province ― Night and day merged into each other on Jindo Island off the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula, as families of those still missing after Wednesday morning’s ferry sinking now wait for a miracle.

The ferry, which left Incheon on Tuesday night with 475 passengers onboard ― including 325 Danwon High School students from Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on their way to a school trip to the southern island of Jeju ― sank near Jindo Island.

So far 179 people have been rescued, 28 found dead and 268 are still missing.

“Children are dying. Get Park Geun-hye on the line!” demanded an emotional mother, one of the hundreds gathered at the indoor gymnasium that is serving as a temporary shelter for the families anxiously awaiting the latest news about their loved ones.

As the woman yelled her demand into a microphone, the Coast Guard officials who had been on a stage in the gymnasium since morning to brief the families on latest developments, stood by silently, their heads down.

Park was on the scene Thursday to reassure the families that the government would do everything it could to rescue the children.

Soon, the mother was urging everyone in the gymnasium to get up and demand that Park get on live camera and talk to the people in the gymnasium. She and the families also demanded that the scene inside the gym be broadcast live. Fighting among families in the gym added to the mayhem.

Earlier, an announcement by another family member that the autopsy of a recovered body showed that the person had died just a few minutes earlier set off a loud wail. Throughout the day, people were carried out in stretchers by military medics, succumbing to frayed nerves and exhaustion.

The already bad situation was further worsened by the families’ distrust of briefings by government officials.

With its initial underestimation of the magnitude of the disaster, the government scrambled to respond to the tragedy, garnering distrust from the families.

Conspiracy theories run amok as highly agitated family members remained unconvinced that the authorities were doing their job. The distrust and conspiracy theories were fueled in part by inefficiency on the part of the government ― it was only late morning before an official from the Coast Guard took to the stage to offer regular briefings and answer families’ questions.

Unconfirmed facts reported real-time by the media and distributed through SNS also added to the rumors and false information, making the already very difficult situation for the grieving families much worse.

By late Friday afternoon at Paengmok harbor, families of those missing from Wednesday’s sinking of the ferry Sewol had lapsed into silence, still waiting to hear the latest news from the scene of the accident.

It had been almost 55 hours since the 6,800 ton ship sank, and as the day passed, the ship sank further into the seabed by dint of its weight, the families hearts sinking with it: Mothers had ceased to shed tears.

On the port’s eastern fringes, soldiers from the Army’s 31st Division, Red Cross volunteers, and local police officers were putting up tents to lay down the bodies of the victims if and when they were brought to the harbor.

Emotions had run high at Paengmok Harbor only hours earlier.

More than 1,000 parents and other relatives, journalists and emergency medical staff had waited at the port all night, foregoing sleep to hear word from the divers searching for survivors. Some 550 divers, including civilian divers, were in the area as part of the massive search-and-rescue effort underway.

The usually quiet Paengmok harbor resembled a refugee camp. Hundreds of volunteers from the Salvation Army and other relief groups handed out food and water, while the electricity company KEPCO installed light bulbs in the makeshift tents over night.

Confusion reigned, with family members of those missing demanding Kim Soo-hyun, the Coast Guard’s chief of the West Regional Headquarters, answer questions about rescue efforts. Kim arrived in Paengmok early Friday to brief the families and be on hand to give more information.

“Are you getting oxygen into the ship?” asked one father. “It’s been more than two days. Our children in the ship need oxygen.” Rescuers said they had succeeded in pumping air into the sunken ferry at 10:50 p.m. Thursday.

Other parents silently wept, whispering their loved ones names, praying for them to return, while some lashed out at the cameramen filming the scene. “Get that thing out of here!” one man yelled, throwing a water bottle at a camera.

By Kim Hoo-ran and Jeong Hunny (khooran@heraldcorp.com), (hj257@heraldcorp.com)

• [Ferry Disaster] ‘Survivor’ messages from ferry are fake: police
• [Ferry Disaster] Families of victims lambaste government, rescue staff
• [Ferry Disaster] Investigator’s probe operators of sunken ferry

[Ferry Disaster] Death toll rises to 28 in ferry sinking

Maritime police officials recover a body in search for the missing passengers of the sunken ferry on Thursday. (Yonhap)

Navy and Coast Guard rescuers found 17 more bodies of passengers trapped in the Sewol on Thursday night and Friday morning, bringing the total number of confirmed dead to 28.

Of the 17 victims, only 10 have been identified. They include eight high-school students, one crewmember and a 60-year-old passenger. All of the bodies were sent to Hankuk Hospital in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province.

As the bodies arrived at the hospital, families of the victims burst into tears with some of the parents screaming and collapsing.

Students and citizens in Ansan attend a rally, hoping for the survival of Danwon High School students believed to be trapped inside the capsized ferry on Thursday. (Yonhap)

As of 10 p.m., 25 of the total 475 passengers were confirmed dead, while 271 remained unaccounted for. Since the 6,825-ton ship sank off the coast of Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, on Wednesday morning, 179 people have been rescued.

On the third day of the frantic search-and-rescue operations, divers continued to do their utmost to find more survivors. But strong tidal currents and poor underwater visibility have hampered their operations.

Concerns have risen that the bodies in the ship could be lost due to the strong currents.

“As the tides have changed their course, bodies have started to flow out of the ship,” a maritime police officer told media.

A total of 500 divers including 229 naval commandos have been mobilized to help the rescue operations at the scene of the country’s worst maritime disaster since 1993. Three massive cranes have arrived at the scene to help pull the sunken vessel up.

But the rescue team said that they would take extra caution in their operations as any mishandling of the ship could lead to a loss of oxygen and bodies inside the ship.

Meanwhile, President Park Geun-hye talked with one of the victims’ parents on Friday night and vowed that the government would do all it could to rescue survivors.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)

• [Ferry Disaster] Video footage shows the sinking process of Korean ferry
• [Ferry Disaster] Park phones parent of student missing in ferry sinking
• Rapid direction change may be cause of sinking

[Ferry Disaster] Rescuers struggle to reach the missing

A search and rescue team looks for survivors of the sunken Sewol in the waters off coast of Jindo Island, Jeolla Province, Friday. (Yonhap)

Rescuers accelerated their search operations to find survivors on the sunken ferry Sewol in waters off Korea’s southwestern coast on Friday as grieving families made desperate appeals for more efforts to save their loved ones.

Navy and Coast Guard divers injected air into the ship for possible survivors and installed buoys to keep it from sinking further. They also entered the interior of the ship for the first time since the 6,825-ton vessel capsized on Wednesday, but failed to find survivors.

As of Friday evening, 28 of the total 475 passengers were confirmed dead, while 268 remained unaccounted for. Among the passengers were 325 students of Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, who were on a school trip to Jejudo Island.

The vice principal of the high school, surnamed Kang, was found dead in an apparent suicide in the afternoon. 

The police said that Kang apparently hanged himself from a tree on a hill near the gymnasium in Jindo, South Jeolla Province, where a disaster information center was set up for the families of the victims.

In the morning, four massive cranes arrived at the scene of the sinking to support the rescue efforts. Also joining the search were 108 naval ships, 61 civilian ships and 535 personnel including military and civilian divers.

The rescue authorities decided not to salvage the vessel until pulling up all the victims from the ship, as any mistakes in the salvaging process could lead to a loss of air and the bodies in the ship, given the strong tidal currents. The victims’ families had opposed the salvaging.

Announcing an interim result of its probe, an investigation team of prosecutors and police said that the captain of the ferry, surnamed Lee, gave the wheel to an inexperienced third mate before the vessel began sinking.

The investigators planned to seek an arrest warrant on Friday against Lee, who was questioned for the third consecutive day. Lee has been criticized for escaping first while hundreds of the passengers were fighting their way out.

“We still need to investigate where the captain was when the ship sank, as accounts conflict for now,” said Lee Sung-yun, head of the investigation team, during a press conference.

Touching on the cause of the sinking, the authorities said they were looking into whether the person behind the wheel changed direction normally or too sharply. Investigators suspect that the ship took a sharp turn when only a gradual change was required, which caused the ship to lose balance and ultimately capsize.

“Whether the sharp turn was the only cause, or any faults in the maintenance of the ship … we should conduct a thorough investigation into all of these,” said Park Jae-eok, a senior investigator.

The authorities also vowed to conduct an “exhaustive” probe into the sinking and the rescue process, and take stern action against those who have contributed to what appeared to be the country’s worst manmade disaster in decades.

The police also warned against the dissemination of unfounded rumors about survivors as messages through social networking services continued to circulate, further worsening the agony of the victims’ families.

Meanwhile, family members of the victims in the ferry disaster berated the government for what they called “insufficient” rescue efforts on Friday.

During a press conference, they also claimed that the government lied to them about the number of rescuers. The government said it mobilized 555 personnel, but the families argued there were fewer than 200 rescuers at the scene.

“We are pleading for help to you, the people, as we are infuriated about the government’s attitude,” the families said in a statement read out by their representative at the gymnasium on Jindo Island.

“There is no one explaining to us how the rescue operations are proceeding or directing us on what we should do. At this moment, our children would be screaming for help inside the ship.”

The families also denounced the rescue authorities, arguing that they did not make all-out efforts for fear of the underwater conditions.

“Although our children were dying, there were no rescue efforts. They said they would do it later, but they made excuses, arguing tidal currents were too strong, and that their own safety would be threatened,” the families said.

In efforts to ease the agony of the families, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won decided to stay at a police facility in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, from Friday onward to ensure sufficient state support for the rescue operations and improve interagency coordination.

A day earlier, President Park Geun-hye visited the scene and pledged that the government would do whatever it could to rescue the missing passengers.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)

Ferry disaster leaves at least 9 dead, 287 missing

(Yonhap)

A ferry carrying 475 passengers and crew sank off the coast of Jindo Island in South Jeolla Province on Wednesday, leaving at least nine people dead and hundreds unaccounted for.

The ferry, the 6,325-ton Sewol, began to sink at about 8:55 a.m. off the coast of Jindo on its way to Jejudo Island from Incheon. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, however, the Sewol began to drift in an unexpected direction from 8:52 a.m.

Of the people on board, woman identified as 22-year-old Park Ji-young, a staff worker for the ferry company, and five students -- Jung Cha-woong, Kwon Oh-chun, Lim Kyung-bin, Park Sung-bin, Park Young-in -- at Danwon High School in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, were confirmed dead.

Two other victims had been recently identified as 25-year-old Choi Hye-jeong, and 35-year-old Nam Yoon-chul, teachers of Danwon High School, and a 28-year-old male named Kim Ki-woong, official said.

As of 11 a.m. Thursday, 179 people were rescued and 287 unaccounted for.

The passengers included 324 students and 14 faculty members from Danwon High School who were traveling to Jejudo Island on a school trip.

The government immediately launched a central response center, with President Park Geun-hye ordering authorities to concentrate on rescue efforts.

“Efforts should be made to prevent even one casualty, and a thorough search (of the ship) must be carried out to ensure nobody is left behind,” Park was quoted as saying by Lee Gyeong-og, second vice minister of security and public administration.

The president also visited the central response center and urged the officials to pick up the pace of the rescue operations as sunset was approaching.

The Minister of Security and Public Administration and the chief of the National Emergency Management Agency coordinated the rescue efforts from the scene.

The Navy sent out vessels along with two helicopters. Navy and Coast Guard commandos were set to begin searching inside the vessel from 5 p.m. Along with the Navy and Coast Guard, the Air Force and the Army dispatched aircraft to the scene. The divers were to begin the search starting in shallower areas and then put the underwater search in full swing early Thursday.

In addition, U.S. Navy ship Bonhomme Richard joined the rescue efforts. The U.S. 7th Fleet also said that it would provide support as necessary.

Although the Security Ministry initially claimed that 368 people had been rescued as of 1:10 p.m., the figure was later revealed to have been a miscalculation.

“As the rescue operation is underway, the exact numbers cannot be compiled yet. The figure of 368 (rescued people) was a mistake,” Second Vice Minister Lee said in a special briefing at about 3:30 p.m.

He added that the number is likely larger than the figure of 166 that the ministry had announced earlier in the day.

In addition, the government and Chonghaejin Marine Co., the operator of the sunken ferry, were unable to determine the number of people on board.

The ferry company initially announced that 477 people were on board while the government put the figure at 459. The ferry company later changed the figure to 462. As the government and concerned organizations struggled to pin down the figures, rescue operations continued in difficult conditions.

Rescue workers arrived at the scene at 9:30 a.m., about half an hour after the emergency call from the Sewol, but the search for survivors was hampered by strong currents.

The passengers were initially told to stay put, but began jumping into the sea following an onboard announcement that the ship was about to sink completely as rescue efforts were underway.

With survivors saying that power inside the ship was cut off as it was sinking, it is speculated that many may have been trapped inside.

“A search was conducted within a 5-kilometer radius, but no recoveries were made. Considering the water temperature, depth and the time lapsed, anyone trapped inside is unlikely to have survived,” a rescue worker told a local news network.

The depth of the sea where the ship sank is reported to be over 45 meters, with a reported water temperature of about 12 degrees Celsius.

The cause of the accident was not yet determined by 6 p.m., but the passengers suggested that the ferry hit a reef just before 9 a.m. when the vessel jolted with a loud noise.

Rescued passengers also speculated that thick fog may have contributed to the accident, but the meteorological office said the area was clear with visibility of about 20 kilometers.

It is also speculated that the ferry may have altered course in order to make up for time lost due to its departure being delayed by weather conditions.

Chonghaejin Marine apologized for the accident and vowed to focus on rescue efforts.

A company official said the vessel did not deviate significantly from course, and that the company was making preparations to recover the ferry.

The captain of the Sewol is a veteran with eight years of experience operating the Incheon-Jejudo Island route. The 69-year-old man surnamed Lee joined Chonghaejin Marine in November 2006. He is the most experienced of the three captains operating the company’s large ferries, according to a Chonghaejin employee.

He had been operating a different 6,325-ton ship before he was switched to the Sewol in March 2013.

Lee was sent on the day of the accident to operate the Sewol to fill in for the main captain, who had gone on vacation.

“Lee is a substitute captain, who fills in for the Incheon-Jejudo Island route when the two captains assigned to the route go on vacation,” a Chonghaejin Marine official said. He added that there should be no problem with Lee operating the ship, as qualification for a substitute captain requires approval by the Incheon Regional Maritime Affairs and Port Administration.

The company operates four vessels including the Sewol on three routes ― which set out from either Incheon or Yeosu ― as well as river taxis on the Hangang River.

This is the second accident involving a Chonghaejin Marine vessel to occur in three weeks.

On March 28, another Chonghaejin ferry hit a 7.93-ton fishing boat en route to Baengnyeongdo Island in the West Sea from Incheon. The 396-ton ferry was carrying about 140 passengers and no injuries were reported.

No irregularities were found on the Sewol during a safety check conducted in February.


By Choi He-suk and Suh Ye-seul (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com) (sys@heraldcorp.com)

• Photos of the ferry disaster off south coast
• Parents of students on sinking ferry gather to protest
• Chronology of S. Korea's deadly ship sinking accidents

[Newsmaker] Rhythmic gymnast Son wins 4 World Cup titles

South Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae earned four titles, including the individual all-around gold medal, at a World Cup stop in Portugal over the weekend.

Son finished first in ball, clubs and ribbon events on Sunday at the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Lisbon, a day after claiming the all-around title. 

Son became the first South Korean rhythmic gymnast to win an individual all-around gold at a senior international event.

In the ball competition, Son earned 17.500 points to beat out Melitina Staniouta of Belarus, who had 17.400 points.

In the clubs final, the South Korean scored 17.450 points, over Dina Averina of Russia (17.250). Finally in the ribbon event, Son had 17.150 points. Arina Charopa of Belrus finished second with 17.050 points.

South Korea’s Son Yeon-jae competes during the ribbon event at the 2014 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Lisbon, Portugal, Sunday. (Yonhap)

Son finished third in the hoop on Sunday.

In the individual all-around on Saturday, Son scored 71.200 points in four apparatus ― clubs, ribbon, hoop and ball ― for the gold, more than three points higher than Staniouta.

Dating back to last season, Son has won at least a medal in seven consecutive World Cups. She is scheduled to compete in the next World Cup in Pesaro, Italy, starting on Friday.

“I am really pleased to have added gold medals in apparatus to my all-around title,” Son said. “I increased the intensity and difficulty of my training to compete with European gymnasts, and it paid off. It was really touching to hear our national anthem, and I hope to keep putting up good results in upcoming international competitions.”

Son, 19, finished fifth in individual all-around at the 2012 London Olympics, the highest Olympic finish by a South Korean rhythmic gymnast. She won the all-around title at the 2013 Asian championships and is eyeing multiple titles at this year’s Asian Games to be held in the South Korean city of Incheon. (Yonhap)

U.S. warns Russia of 'additional consequences' over Ukraine

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Ukraine later this month, officials said Saturday, as Washington warned Moscow of "additional consequences" if it fails to reduce tensions with Ukraine.

The announcement came just a day after Washington unveiled sanctions against six of Crimea's breakaway leaders, including the official who signed the deal with Moscow to split the peninsula from Ukraine.

During a telephone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry "made clear that if Russia did not take steps to de-escalate in eastern Ukraine and move its troops back from Ukraine's border, there would be additional consequences," a senior State Department official said.

Washington has repeatedly urged Moscow to de-escalate tensions and withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine's eastern border in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War.

A first wave of U.S. sanctions unveiled in March had blacklisted officials and businesspeople close to Russian President Vladimir Putin to protest Moscow's takeover of Crimea.

The senior official said that Kerry expressed "strong concern" that earlier attacks by armed militants in eastern Ukraine were "orchestrated and synchronized, similar to previous attacks in eastern Ukraine and Crimea."

Kalashnikov-wielding gunmen seized two security buildings in Ukraine's restive eastern rust belt amid spreading protests demanding the Russified region join Kremlin rule.

The militants were equipped with specialized Russian weapons and wore the same uniforms as the Russian forces who invaded the Crimean peninsula, according to the official.

The White House condemned the "orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage," saying it would figure in Biden's April 22 talks in Kiev.

"The vice president will discuss the latest developments in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists, apparently with the support of Moscow, continue an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage to destabilize the Ukrainian state," it said.

Biden's visit to Kiev will also focus on the international community's efforts to help stabilize and strengthen Ukraine's economy ahead of May 25 presidential elections, the White House said.

And he will discuss constitutional reform, decentralization, anti-corruption efforts and energy security.

Moscow has massed tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine's eastern border after annexing the Crimean Peninsula and nearly doubled the rates it charges Kiev for natural gas.

During his meetings with government leaders and civil society groups, Biden will "underscore the United States' strong support for a united, democratic Ukraine that makes its own choices about its future path," a White House statement said.

"The vice president will also meet with various Ukrainian people to hear their aspirations and deepen the partnership between the United States and Ukraine." (AFP)

Kongnamul muchim, (seasoned soybean sprouts)

Kongnamul muchim (seasoned soybean sprouts) (Korean Bapsang)

Kongnamul muchim is one of the most frequently served vegetable side dishes in Korean homes. You can almost always find it among the array of side dishes served at Korean restaurants. It’s also one of the common vegetables in bibimbap. Sometimes, this dish is mildly seasoned to savor the natural nutty flavor of the soybean sprouts. Other times, it’s made spicy with gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes). Here, I am showing you both ways. Do not open the lid while cooking until the sprouts are cooked, or the raw bean smell will linger even after the dish is cooked. It’s important not to overcook the soybean sprouts to preserve their crunchy texture. 

Ingredients:
Mild:

● 450 grams of kongnamul (soybean sprouts)

● 1 scallion, finely chopped

● 1 teaspoon minced garlic

● 1 tablespoon sesame oil

● 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

● Salt (about 1 teaspoon) and pepper to taste 

Spicy:

● 450 grams kongnamul (soybean sprouts)

● 1 scallion, finely chopped

● 1 teaspoon minced garlic

● 1 tablespoon sesame oil

● 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

● 1-2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)

● 1 tablespoon soy sauce 

● Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and pepper to taste

Rinse the soybean sprouts twice in cold water, discarding any rotten beans or skins that float off. It’s not necessary to snip off the roots, but you can if you want. 

Place 1 cup of water in a medium-sized pot with a teaspoon of salt. Add the bean sprouts. Cover and cook over high heat for about 7 minutes. Drain quickly. Let cool. (You can shock the sprouts in cold water to stop the cooking for extra crunch.) 

Toss with the remaining ingredients. Taste a little and add more salt to your liking if needed.

Korea offers makeovers Chinese cannot resist A patient undergoes plastic surgery at a clinic in southern Seoul. / Courtesy of LaPrin By Joel Lee A cosmetic surgery hospital in southern Seoul mirrors a Chinese drama set in a luxury model home. Beside a statue of Venus, a woman lies with her face wrapped in bandages. A young woman in a patient gown talks with a man in black sunglasses. A group of Chinese tourists curiously listen to a staff speaking in Mandarin. In a marriage of capitalist desires and socialist wealth, legions of Chinese women are rushing to visit Korea for plastic surgery. After half a century of development, Korea now has one of the world’s best infrastructures in cosmetic surgery, riding high on the Korean Wave or “hallyu” boom. Clusters of clinics line the “beauty belt” of southern Seoul along Apgujeong, Sinsa, Sinnonhyeon and Gangnam Station. “Chinese patients come prepared with an idealized, set image. They quickly follow the changing looks in drama, music and fashion and ask for the exact same thing in their surgery,” said Lee Chang-mi, a manager at Regen Medical Group. Most patients are from the upper-middle class or above of China’s burgeoning metropolises. Chen Shui, 36, a patient from Chengdu said, despite decades of socialist emphasis on gender equality, women still face discrimination in society. Single women in their late twenties are called “shengnu” or “leftover women.” In the workplace, employers seek young and attractive women. The popularity of celebrities such as “Angelababy,” who had a facial makeover in Korea according to “rumors” and now enjoys “goddess status” in China, is helping the liberalization of society, Chen said. For those housewives struggling to attract their husbands’ eyes, getting a breast implant in Korea helps "keep the family together and raise self-esteem," according to Jin Wen-bin, another Chinese manager at Regen. “One of our patients discovered her husband’s infidelity and upon meeting the mistress was impressed by her beauty. She got breast implants at our clinic,” Jin said. Jin added costly operations like breast implants are popular among rich housewives. Those in their 40s or more come for face-lifts which tighten sagging skin. For the Chinese patients, simple procedures such as the double eyelid and rhinoplasty (nose enhancement) are the most popular. From there it advances to reshaping facial contours and the rest of the body. While the Japanese patients want subtle changes, the Chinese prefer clean-cut and highlighted features, officials from clinics said. Also, unlike the Japanese who try one surgery at a time, Chinese patients easily opt for multiple surgeries in one visit, they said. Penchant for Korea  “China still lags behind Korea in the plastic surgery field. The experience and skill of the doctors can’t be made overnight by investing money,” said Eric Young, director of Young Life in Seoul, a medical tourism agency associated with the Ministry of Health & Welfare and Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). With increased wealth, Chinese women known for their “strong character” have no outlet to satisfy their pursuit of beauty, Young said. Their desire is absorbed by the Korean hospitals in a saturated domestic market with a shrinking population. “The signs used to be in English but nowadays they are in Chinese. What’s lacking in southern Seoul are the hotels, which cannot be built due to a shortage of land. Those already built are not linked to medical tourism,” Young added. The Chinese penchant for Korea runs deeper than their infatuation with Korean pop-culture. “It comes from the mistrust of the system entrenched in their psyche,” said Park Byong-choon, a surgeon and CEO of LaPrin plastic surgery clinic in Cheongdam-dong. “Chinese parents come to Korea even for childbirth. The death of a young singer under a Chinese cosmetic surgeon’s knife a few years ago makes people think twice about doing it at home.” In China, cosmetic clinics are not owned by doctors but by licensed businessmen who pay the doctors. Even the good doctors are no match for the mass marketing and it’s hard to know who’s who in such a populous market, Park said.  “Then there are the bloodless surgeons bent on maximizing profit. With so many ruined faces around, patients think it’s better to do it right in Korea by paying more. Even the Chinese Communist Party cannot control that,” he said. Park also believes the Chinese medical system prevents competition. “The brightest are allocated to the big hospitals by the state and the rest work in small clinics,” he said. Language plays an important role in the medical business and cutting-edge aesthetics. In Korean medical schools, Korean and English are used together, but only Chinese in China. With the medical terminologies in Chinese, the doctors can’t follow the latest news in international papers and journals, Park said. “Technology develops through competition. Especially in the beauty industry where innovation is the key, there’s no progress without study. Korea is good at that. We have actively incorporated from outside and created something with our name,” he said.