According to a thesis by Um Hyun-shin at South Korea's Kyung Hee University's clothing and textiles department, 77.5 percent of a total of 810 female respondents over the age of 18 said during a survey conducted last September that they wanted cosmetic surgery. While 62 percent of women in their late 20s have already undergone cosmetic surgery, the survey shows.

    About 70 percent of the respondents said they have suffered stress due to their appearance, the survey said.

    However, about 20.4 percent of the respondents said people should avoid cosmetic surgery if possible, while only 2.1 percent said people should never have cosmetic surgery.

    When asked whether they had undergone plastic surgery, 47.3 percent said yes, while 52.7 percent said no.

    Um said cosmetic surgery includes not only big changes such as nose, double eyelid and face-lifting operations, but also minor ones such as mole removal and face peeling.

    By age, 61.5 percent of girls aged between 25 and 29, the age group that begins to go out to work after finishing school, have had cosmetic operations. More than 56 percent of those in their 30s, 42.9 percent of women in their 40s and 39.4 percent of those aged 50 and over have undergone plastic surgery, the survey shows.