SEOUL • The doctor who performed a lipoma removal procedure on actress Han Ye Seul apologised for botching it in an interview uploaded to YouTube last Saturday.

Dr Lee Ji Hyun of Cha Medical Centre in Gangnam admitted to damaging Han's skin from the inside while he was removing the lipoma, a non-cancerous tumour of fatty tissue beneath the skin.

"It's easier to remove the tumour if surgery is done right around the lipoma. But considering that she is an actress, I suggested removing it from below, (so) she could cover up the scar with clothing," he said.

But the electric knife cut through the skin from below by mistake while he was stripping and exfoliating the lipoma, he said.

In response to recent speculation, he also clarified that he did not graft skin from other parts of Han's body or a donor.

Han has been transferred to a hospital that specialises in rehabilitation of burnt skin to receive medical treatment and minimise her scar.

"I made a wrong decision and I am very sorry. I would like to hereby apologise to Han Ye Seul once more," Dr Lee said.

Cha Medical Centre said in a statement issued last Saturday that it would compensate Han for medical malpractice.

The 36-year-old has acted in dramas such as Birth Of A Beauty (2014) and Children Of 20th Century (2017).

KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK