Korean plastic surgery, booked with an interpreter beside you
Korean plastic surgery draws patients from all over the world, and Gangnam alone has hundreds of clinics. Picking one from abroad, in a language you can't read, is the hard part. KCODI sends you 2–3 written quotes from surgeons who do your procedure daily, books at the local rate, and assigns a medical interpreter who stays with you from consultation to discharge. Free for patients.
- Interpreter at your consultation and on surgery day, free
- Local partner rate, itemised quote before any deposit
- A recovery plan for the week the swelling goes down
Plastic surgery procedures and typical Seoul prices
- Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty
Bridge, tip and hump work. Splint and stitches off around day 7.
- Typical price in Seoul
- ≈ $2,500 – $6,500
- Stay in Korea
- 7–10 days
- Double Eyelid Surgery
Double Eyelid Surgery
Non-incisional or incisional crease. Stitches out in 5–7 days.
- Typical price in Seoul
- ≈ $870 – $2,500
- Stay in Korea
- 5–7 days
- Facelift
Facelift
SMAS, deep plane or mini lift. Plan two weeks in Seoul.
- Typical price in Seoul
- ≈ $5,800 – $14,000
- Stay in Korea
- 10–14 days
- Liposuction
Liposuction
Priced per area. Compression garment and 5–7 days in Seoul.
- Typical price in Seoul
- ≈ $1,800 – $5,800
- Stay in Korea
- 5–7 days
- Breast Augmentation
Breast Augmentation
Implant type, size and incision decided with you. 7–10 days.
- Typical price in Seoul
- ≈ $5,800 – $11,000
- Stay in Korea
- 7–10 days
- Facial Contouring & Jaw Surgery
Facial Contouring & Jaw Surgery
V-line, cheekbone and jaw work. CT planning, two-week stay.
- Typical price in Seoul
- ≈ $4,300 – $14,000
- Stay in Korea
- 10–14 days
- Under-Eye Fat Repositioning
Under-Eye Fat Repositioning
Eye bags and tear troughs, often with no visible scar. 5–7 days.
- Typical price in Seoul
- ≈ $1,100 – $2,500
- Stay in Korea
- 5–7 days
- Revision Surgery
Revision Surgery
Second operations on nose, eyes or contour. Records reviewed first.
- Typical price in Seoul
- ≈ $3,600 – $11,000
- Stay in Korea
- 7–14 days
Market estimate, not a quote. Your written quote comes after a free consultation.
Why book plastic surgery in Korea through KCODI
01
Your interpreter is assigned before you fly
You get her name and photo with your booking. She has sat through nose, eyelid and contouring consultations many times and knows the terms surgeons use.
02
She is there when the surgeon marks your face
On surgery day the surgeon draws the plan on your skin. She translates every line of it, and your last-minute "a little less, please", before you go under.
03
Local rate, itemised in writing
Surgeon fee, anesthesia, implant type, aftercare visits and what is not included. You see all of it before any deposit. No foreigner markup.
04
A recovery week planned by locals
A hotel within 10 minutes of the clinic, soft food delivered while your face is swollen, and a pharmacy that stays open late.
Booking direct vs booking with KCODI
Same clinic, same surgeon. What changes is who is on your side of the desk.
What clinics offer differs. Ask us about the clinic you have in mind and we tell you what applies there.
What patients worry about before surgery in Korea
How do I know my surgeon actually does the operation?
"Ghost surgery", where another doctor operates once you are asleep, has been a real scandal in Korea. By law the consent form must name the doctor who performs your surgery, and any change has to be given to you in writing. Your interpreter reads the form with you and confirms the name with the surgeon before you sign.
Is there CCTV in Korean operating rooms?
Since September 2023, operating rooms used for surgery on unconscious patients, under general anesthesia or sedation, must have CCTV. The clinic records your surgery if you request it beforehand, with a few legal exceptions such as emergencies. Your interpreter fills in the request form with you before surgery day.
What if I'm unhappy with the result after I fly home?
Swelling hides the final shape for months, so most surgeons won't judge a result until about six months or later. Get the clinic's revision policy in writing before you pay. Your interpreter asks for it. If a dispute can't be settled, K-MEDI, Korea's medical dispute mediation agency, accepts cases from foreign patients.
What you can hold us to
Quote first, deposit later
You never pay a deposit before you hold a written, itemised quote.
A name and a face before you fly
You know who your interpreter is, and which language she speaks, before you board.
You pay us nothing
No booking fee, no interpreter fee, no fee for asking. The clinic pays our coordination fee.
Recovering in Seoul after plastic surgery
Plan to stay until your stitches or splint come off. For most face surgery that is 7 to 10 days. A facelift or contouring needs closer to two weeks. The first three days are the hardest: swelling peaks, and you want your bed close to the clinic. Your surgeon decides when you are fit to fly.
- Book a hotel within 10 minutes of the clinic. You go back for check-ups three to five times.
Eat soft, low-salt food for the first 3 days. Pumpkin porridge (hobakjuk) is what Koreans order after surgery, and it delivers.
Sleep with your head raised on two pillows, and walk a little every day.
No alcohol, smoking, sauna or jjimjilbang until your surgeon clears you.
Skin
Eyes
Dental
Hair
Checkup
Hanbang
The people who sit next to you
View all
English deskJeongil Seo
Korean · English
English deskDaeun Lee
Korean · English
English deskJisoo Yoo
Korean · English
English deskSooyeon Lee
Korean · English
Japanese deskSomin Park
Korean · Japanese
Japanese deskSanga Lee
Korean · Japanese
Mandarin deskKyungsook Moon
Korean · Mandarin
Mandarin deskSua Yoon
Korean · Mandarin
Guides from our interpreters
All guides
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Korean clinics advertise several different accreditations, and they mean different things. Here is how to read them, and what to confirm regardless.
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Plastic SurgeryLooking for ID Hospital Korea reviews? Here is what to check before you book
People search a clinic's name when the decision is already close. Reviews rarely settle it. Verified facts and six questions usually do.
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Plastic SurgeryJK Plastic Surgery Center: the aftercare questions long-haul patients forget
The hard part of surgery abroad is not the week in Seoul. It is week three, at home, when something looks wrong and the clinic is asleep.
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Plastic SurgeryPlastic surgery in Korea for foreigners: what actually happens, in order
Korean clinics are built around patients who live twenty minutes away. Almost every problem a foreign patient runs into comes from that one assumption. Here is the real sequence, and where to intervene.
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Plastic SurgeryPlastic surgery in Thailand vs Korea: which country fits the operation you actually want?
Plastic surgery Thailand vs Korea comes down to the procedure: Korea for facial surgery by surgeons who repeat one operation daily, Thailand for a broader hospital menu at a lower headline price. Whole-trip costs land close.
9 min read
Plastic SurgeryBlepharoplasty recovery time, day by day, from the seat next to you in the clinic
Blepharoplasty recovery time follows a predictable shape: worst swelling at 48 hours, stitches out around day five to seven, presentable with glasses at two weeks, and natural-looking at two to three months.
8 min read
- Plastic Surgery
Canthoplasty recovery time is measured in months at the corners, not days
Canthoplasty recovery time runs in three stages: stitches out around day five to seven, visible pinkness for three to six weeks, and corner scars settling over six months or longer. The corner heals slower than the eyelid crease.
8 min read
- Plastic Surgery
A protruding chin is three different problems, and only one of them is fixed by shaving bone
A protruding chin may be a long chin bone, a forward-rotated jaw with a bite problem, or a sagging soft-tissue pad. Genioplasty solves the first, jaw surgery the second, and neither solves the third.
8 min read
Questions patients ask us
What causes extreme bruising after surgery?
Is plastic surgery in Korea safe for foreigners?
How much does plastic surgery cost in Korea?
How long do I need to stay in Korea?
Can I have the consultation and the surgery in the same trip?
Is Korean cosmetic surgery the same thing as Korean plastic surgery?
Do Korean plastic surgeons speak English?
Send your photos. Get 2–3 written quotes.
Tell us what you want changed and when you can travel. Replies come in about 10 minutes, 09:00–22:00 KST. Surgery-day interpreter slots fill first, so message early and we hold your date free while you compare quotes.
