A Leading Country in Plastic Surgery, Korea

More than half of international patients who visited Korea in 2023 went to dermatology or plastic surgery clinics, categorized in the aesthetics sector. The number of patients who had medical consultations at a dermatology or plastic surgery clinic was 239,000 (35.2%) and 114,000 (16.8%) respectively. In terms of region, the largest number of international patients visited Seoul (78.1%), the reason being that dermatology and plastic surgery clinics are concentrated in the metropolitan area. ¹⁾ As the above data shows, Korean aesthetic surgery technology is expanding globally with the help of Hallyu. As the leading country in the aesthetic surgery sector, what makes Korean plastic surgery clinics different? Source 1) 2023 Foreigner attraction status, Ministry of Health and Welfare

1. Korean Aesthetic Surgery Market is the Largest in the World

The size of the Korean aesthetic surgery market accounts for 1/4 of the global aesthetic surgery market. The number of plastic surgery specialists per 100,000 Korean people is 4.5, the highest in the world. The fact that the number of plastic surgery specialists per population is high shows that people are highly interested in aesthetic surgeries and the market is active. At the same time, the number of plastic surgeries per 1,000 Koreans is at 8.9 cases, which makes Korea the country where people get the highest number of plastic surgeries in the world.

2. Why Do Foreigners Come to Korea for Plastic Surgery?

The plastic surgery procedure Koreans are most interested in is upper eyelid surgery, which creates double eyelids or alters the shape of the eye. Mono eyelids are a unique characteristic seen in Northeast Asian ethnic groups. Double eyelid surgery is performed frequently because it is a relatively easy way to bring about visible results. While double eyelid surgery enhances and defines the eyes, the nose or face line after surgery may be disproportional or not in harmony with the eyes. Thus, rhinoplasty or facial contour surgeries developed alongside eyelid surgeries to complement the result. Also, a culture where Korean celebrities open up about their plastic surgery experiences took out the cultural stigma of plastic surgery helping the industry develop greatly in Korea.

POINT 1. Smooth Communication

Most Korean plastic surgery clinics actively treat international patients. Naturally, many of them have staff members present at the hospitals who can freely communicate in various languages including English, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, and Mongolian. They provide in-depth services throughout the whole process from consultation before choosing the hospital to medical consultation, operation, postoperative management, discharge, and online care after patients return home. These services help international patients communicate conveniently with staff members so they can have a smooth and comfortable surgery.

Plastic surgeons from the Philippines observing ophthalmic surgery being performed at a Korean plastic surgery clinic.ⓒ(SM Plastic Surgery)

POINT 2. Status of Plastic Surgery Specialists

The skill level of Korean plastic surgery specialists is very high, and the standard is continually being raised. Their status is proven at international conferences. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons is the first in Asia to conduct courses in English, where surgeons from all over the world including Asia and Europe participate. At the same time, the participating surgeons hope to visit university hospitals and private clinics to observe the surgery process. High-quality academic papers and Koreans’ tendency to respond quickly to trends and adapt swiftly to changes have influenced the development of medical technology.

3. What is the Preferred Korean Aesthetic Surgery Trend?

The trend in Korean plastic surgery changes constantly. In the past, the younger generation opted for double jaw surgery or facial contours that drastically changed their looks. Today, procedures that can naturally reverse aging are more in trend. Therefore we can summarize the recent trend into two points: “anti-aging” and “plastic surgeries for younger-looking faces”. This trend must be due to the longer life expectancy. At the same time, women want to actively participate in social activities, while still maintaining style even after their 50s. Therefore, “silver plastic surgery,” or treatments to look younger including upper blepharoplasty, wrinkle reduction, or full facelift are gaining popularity.

Let’s look at the trend in mammaplasty. The latest trend in mammaplasty is to make breasts look natural and not to focus on increasing the size significantly. From a surgical point of view, breast implants have undergone drastic changes. Since 2017, the new 6th generation implant has been in general use where the implant is made on top of the muscle, a change from the old method. Moreover, an increasing number of older patients are undergoing mammaplasty. They are opting more for aesthetic surgeries as individual exchanges have become more visually oriented on social media.

4. Three Tips to Make Your Plastic Surgery More Satisfactory

When you go overseas for plastic surgery, getting a satisfactory outcome is crucial. Here are three great pieces of advice for getting more satisfactory surgical results. First, visit a clinic with a plastic surgery specialist. In Korea, non-specialists can also conduct procedures and operations at a plastic surgery clinic. Therefore, it is better to check if the doctor specializes in plastic surgery. We recommend you check in advance and search for surgeons on the Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons website. Non-specialists are not trained for medical accidents due to plastic surgery side effects, and they are more prone to creating surgical side effects or accidents. Better be safe and check carefully in advance. Second, look for clinics with many Korean patients. Some clinics target mostly international patients but it is safer to go to clinics that Korean patients go to. Such clinics are more likely to offer good postoperative care for side effects or patient complaints. Think of it this way: Restaurants frequented by locals are more likely to be hidden gems.

Third, go to plastic surgery clinics in the summer. Korea’s plastic surgery clinics have high and low seasons. Koreans prefer to get plastic surgery in autumn and winter when the weather is not too hot. Therefore, we recommend that international patients visit clinics in the summer when it is a relatively quiet season. International patient consultations require more time because there are more things to explain and translation is necessary. When you visit in summer, the clinics can dedicate more time to you and you will get more time for the consultations and receive a more careful treatment.

JJ Plastic Surgery Clinic, Jin-joo Hong, MD/PhD

BIO Plastic Surgery Clinic, Hyung-bo Sim, MD

* (In the order of the photo) The following was written based on interviews with Jin-joo Hong (MD/PhD), Director of JJ Plastic Surgery Clinic; and Hyung-bo Sim (MD), Director of BIO Plastic Surgery Clinic.

Columnist Profile : Medicine Channel After the Rain, Jin-hee Jeong (Pharmacist), PD