Tourists from China and Hong Kong love having their ID photos taken in Korea because of the flattering magic studios here perform in no time.

Kim Jing-sung, who own a photo studio in Sinchon Seoul, said he has 15 to 20 Chinese customers a day. "Most of them bring photos of Korean or Chinese celebrities and ask their ID photos to be taken that way," he added.

A Chinese woman came to have her ID photo taken in a studio near the trendy Hongik University. "In China, they spend just a second taking your ID photo, but in Korea you get the image of a lifetime and for a great price."