As end to pandemic mask-wearing nears, South Koreans scramble to arrange cosmetic surgery

Ryu Han-na consults with Park Cheol-woo a director of WooAhIn Plastic Surgery Clinic before undergoing nose plastic surgery amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Seoul, South Korea, December 17, 2020. Picture taken on December 17, 2020. - Reuters

SEOUL: When Ryu Han-na, a 20-year-old university student, got cosmetic surgery on her nose in mid-December, she had a simple reason: it might be the last chance to do so covertly before people start taking off masks this year as vaccines are distributed.

Ryu, who has been attending her courses online throughout 2020, said the ability to recuperate at home and wear a mask in public without drawing attention were deciding factors.