'Tails of Tales (hereafter Kkokkomu)' covered the story of the illegal procedure victim known as the fan aunt.
On the 8th broadcast, SBS's 'Tails of Tales (hereafter Kkokkomu)' focused on 'The lost name, Han Hye-gyeong,' spotlighting the life of the late Han Hye-gyeong, who was known to the public as the 'fan aunt.' The broadcast conveyed not only the tragic consequences after illegal cosmetic surgery but also the suffering and recovery process of a human being, leaving a heavy feeling.
Han Hye-gyeong was a figure who once performed as a singer under the pseudonym 'Han Mi-ok.' She repeatedly underwent illegal cosmetic surgeries in her desire to become a more intense and charismatic singer, which severely disfigured her face. She later experienced auditory and visual hallucinations and reached an extreme situation in which she injected industrial silicone, paraffin oil, and soybean oil into her own face.
She appeared on the 2004 show Moment of Capture: Things Like This in the World, becoming a social topic. The broadcast served as an opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery addiction, but her subsequent life was even more arduous. Unable to work, she had to live relying on subsidies as a basic living recipient, and above all, the hardest thing to endure was loneliness. Because of the stares directed at her, going out was not easy, and she spent most of her time with her pet dog instead of people.
After the broadcast, finding hospitals and medical staff to perform reconstructive surgery was not easy. Most people said it was "difficult" and hesitated to step forward, but a plastic surgeon with 25 years of experience reached out and rekindled a spark of hope. In the meantime, Han Hye-gyeong suffered the shock of her mother's death. The fact that she could not ultimately show her mother her completed treatments remained a deep source of guilt.
She later left the words "Mom, I will live again. I will live healthy and happily. Give me strength" and resolved to rise again. She endured painful surgeries and rehabilitation and gradually regained daily life, reclaiming an ordinary life amid neighbors' encouragement. She decided to sing again and carried on small daily activities while doing other work as well.
However, after moving far away from her family, news came that she suddenly collapsed in 2018. She was moved to a hospital but ultimately did not recover, and she died at the age of 57.
The sensational nickname 'fan aunt' obscured Han Hye-gyeong's life, showing how illegal procedures can destroy an individual's life while leaving the fierce struggle of a person who tried to regain an ordinary life until the end. Her story still poses heavy questions to society.
[Photo] 'Broadcast screen'
[OSEN]