STEP - Science and Technology in the European Periphery

Reconstructing Bodies: Biomedicine, Health, and Nation-building in
South Korea since 1945 (Stanford UP / Columbia UP--WEAI)

DiMoia, John.

South Korea represents one of the world's most enthusiastic markets for plastic surgery. The growth of this market is particularly fascinating
as access to medical care and surgery arose only recently with economic growth since the 1980s. Reconstructing Bodies traces the development of a medical infrastructure in the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 1945 to the present, arguing that the plastic surgery craze and the related development of biotech ambitions is deeply rooted in historical experience.

Tracking the ROK's transition and independence from Japan, John P.
DiMoia explains how the South Korean government mobilized biomedical resources and technologies to consolidate its desired image of a modern and progressive nation. Offering in-depth accounts of illustrative transformations, DiMoia narrates South Korean biomedical practice, including Seoul National University Hospital's emergence as an international biomedical site, state-directed family planning and
anti-parasite campaigns, and the emerging market for aesthetic and
plastic surgery, reflecting how South Koreans have appropriated medicine
and surgery for themselves as individuals, increasingly prioritizing
private forms of health care.

For more info:
http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=20798

For Table of Contents:
http://www.sup.org/pages.cgiisbn=0804784116&item=Contents_pages&page=1