Choosing a surgeon
How to check that your surgeon in Korea is a board-certified plastic surgeon
What “board-certified plastic surgeon” means in Korea, how clinic names reveal it, the questions to ask about who operates, and Korea’s operating-room CCTV rules.
In Korea, any licensed doctor may legally perform cosmetic procedures. That is why it is worth checking whether the doctor who will operate on you is a board-certified plastic surgeon — and whether that doctor is really the one who operates.
What the title means
A board-certified plastic surgeon (성형외과 전문의) in Korea has completed specialist training in plastic surgery at a training hospital after medical school and passed the specialist examination, and holds a specialist certificate issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Doctors without this certification can still offer cosmetic treatment, but they are not plastic surgery specialists.
Clue 1: the clinic’s Korean name
Korean law allows a clinic to put a specialty such as “plastic surgery” (성형외과) in its name only if its doctor is a specialist in that field. A clinic opened by a doctor of another specialty must use a plain name and may only list plastic surgery as a treatment subject. So “○○성형외과의원” is a useful first sign. Harmony’s registered name is 하모니성형외과의원.
Clue 2: ask directly
- Is the doctor who consults with me the doctor who operates?
- Is that doctor a board-certified plastic surgeon?
- Who checks my recovery after the procedure?
- How is the operation monitored, and what emergency equipment is in the clinic?
Operating-room CCTV in Korea
Since September 2023, Korean law has required CCTV in operating rooms where patients undergo surgery while unconscious, such as under general anaesthesia, and patients can request that their operation be recorded. Many clinics go further: Harmony operates more than ten CCTV cameras, including in the operating room.
At Harmony
Dr. Seon-hye Yu is a board-certified plastic surgeon with 20 years of experience and the clinic’s representative director. She consults, operates and follows your recovery herself. See her profile and how the clinic approaches safety.
This website provides general information about procedures offered at Harmony Plastic Surgery and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Every procedure carries risks such as swelling, bruising, asymmetry, scarring or infection, and results differ from person to person. Suitability is decided by the surgeon after an in-person examination.
