Background : With the year 2011 as a standard, Korea is the country where people have plastic surgeries most in the world as a percentage of the population. The old saying “you should cherish your own body which came from your parents” is now no longer effective. We are living in an era when a plastic surgery boom is more powerful than ever. At this point in time, this study is aimed to identify how cosmetic surgeries attract people, and what the social and cultural meaning of the surgeries are in Korea. Methods : We conducted a survey of plastic surgery advertisements displayed in the Apgujeong and Sinsa subways in November 2014. Then, we divided them by content and formal characteristics, and identified characteristics of design culture in each of them. Result : Through content analysis we were able to determine what types of advertising appeals account for most of the plastic surgery ads, and what parts are currently popular for the surgeries. Form analysis of cosmetic surgery ads helped us find out that there are many imagecentered advertisements, and a lot of use of sans serif type. As a result, we discovered the following six design cultural characteristics in plastic surgery advertisements. First of all, symbols of trust flood cosmetic surgery ads. Second, the advertisements emphasize ‘line’ and ‘contour’, seeing our body shapes in linear dimensions. Third, men have started emerging as new consumers of cosmetic surgeries. Fourth, cosmetic surgery ads are going for natural looks. Fifth, there is a desire to have a distinct look created by the surgeries. Finally, we found attitudes preferring younger looks. Conclusions : Plastic surgery ads survive displaying people’s desire plainly, or stimulating hidden cravings. These existing methods are expressed in the unique design culture of cosmetic surgery advertisements.