South Korea, long known as a hub for plastic surgery, has seen a transformation in its advertising landscape. Subway stations once saturated with advertisements for cosmetic procedures have shifted focus following a 2018 ban on such ads. Complaints about the promotion of plastic surgery led the Seoul bus and subway system to prohibit these advertisements.
However, a new and controversial campaign has emerged, targeting cosmetic procedures for pets. The campaign, displayed in subways, features before-and-after images of dogs undergoing procedures such as tail docking for Welsh Corgis and ear cropping for Dobermanns.
This shocking public service advertisement has taken Korean netizens by surprise, revealing that the distinctive features of certain dog breeds are the results of human-performed cosmetic alterations. Reactions online have been overwhelmingly negative.
Korean netizens commented:
“I wonder how many people would be scanning the QR code to find out what that ad is?”
“This is why I stopped liking Bae Jung Nam because he did plastic surgery on his Dobermann three times to get his ears to look a certain way.”
“I really don’t understand why people would cut Welsh Corgi’s tail.”
“I didn’t know there was an ad like that.”
“People are crazy.”
“I think these dogs are so much prettier before they get their surgeries.”
“That’s animal abuse for sure.”
“I wonder if people really think these dogs look better after the cosmetic procedure.”
“The greed of people is endless.”
“This is disgusting how people want to change the image of their pets.”
The campaign has ignited a debate on the ethics of altering pets’ appearances for aesthetic reasons, highlighting the darker side of cosmetic procedures in South Korea.