How do I verify if a Korean plastic surgery clinic is board certified and safe?

Verify the surgeon, then the facility. For the surgeon: ask to see the specialist certificate and confirm KSPRS membership through the society. For the facility: confirm that general anesthesia is supervised with proper monitoring (ideally an anesthesiologist on site), that emergency equipment is available, and that the operating room has CCTV — mandatory for surgery under general anesthesia in Korea since September 2023. Also confirm in writing who will actually perform the surgery, and ask how post-operative follow-up is handled.

Is every doctor performing cosmetic surgery in Korea a plastic surgery specialist?

No. In Korea, any licensed physician may legally perform cosmetic procedures, but only those who completed a plastic surgery residency and passed the board examination may use the title plastic surgery specialist (성형외과 전문의). This is why checking the exact specialty title matters more than the clinic name or marketing.

What is ghost surgery and how do I avoid it?

Ghost surgery refers to a different doctor operating after the patient is under anesthesia. To reduce the risk: confirm the operating surgeon by name in the consent form, choose clinics where the consulting doctor is the operating doctor, and prefer facilities with operating-room CCTV, which Korean law now requires for general-anesthesia surgery and which patients may request to record.

Patient Guide

How to Verify a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon in Korea — A Patient Checklist

UNE Plastic Surgery · Dr. Kim Uigeon, board-certified plastic surgeon · Published 2026-06-11

Korea has one of the world's most developed plastic surgery sectors — and also a wide quality range. The single most reliable filter is the board-certified specialist system (전문의): a legally protected title that only surgeons who completed a four-year plastic surgery residency and passed the national board examination may use. This guide explains exactly what to check and how to verify it, step by step.

1. What "Board-Certified" Means in Korea

All Korean physicians are licensed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. On top of that license, a plastic surgery specialist (성형외과 전문의) must complete medical school, an internship, a four-year residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and pass the national specialty board examination. The title is protected by law — a clinic may advertise "cosmetic procedures" without it, but may not call a doctor a plastic surgery specialist unless the credential is real.

Important nuance: any licensed physician in Korea may legally perform cosmetic procedures. A clinic offering breast augmentation is not automatically run by a plastic surgery specialist. Checking the exact specialty title is therefore the first and most meaningful filter.

2. Four Ways to Verify the Surgeon

Ask for the specialist certificate. Korean clinics customarily display the 성형외과 전문의 certificate in the consultation room or lobby. Asking to see it is normal and not considered rude.
Check society membership. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (대한성형외과학회, KSPRS) is the national specialty society; regular membership requires the specialist credential. You can ask the clinic for the surgeon's membership status or search the society's directory.
Search the surgeon by name. Korean portals (Naver) list physician profiles with specialty, hospital affiliation, and education. Cross-check the name on the clinic website against these listings.
Confirm who actually operates. Ask, in writing, whether the consulting surgeon is the operating surgeon. The operating surgeon's name should appear on the consent form.

3. Facility Safety — What a Safe Clinic Looks Like

Anesthesia management. For surgery under general anesthesia, ask who manages anesthesia and monitoring. An anesthesiologist on site during surgery is the safest arrangement.
Operating-room CCTV. Since September 2023, Korean law requires CCTV in operating rooms where patients undergo surgery under general anesthesia, and patients may request recording. A clinic's attitude toward this question is itself informative.
Emergency preparedness. Emergency equipment and a transfer protocol to a nearby hospital should exist and be explained when asked.
Post-operative follow-up. A defined schedule of post-op visits (not just "come if there is a problem") indicates a clinic that manages outcomes, not just operations.

4. Red Flags

The clinic will not say in writing who performs the surgery — the classic "ghost surgery" risk pattern.
No specialist certificate displayed, or evasive answers about the surgeon's specialty title.
Price-led marketing with pressure to decide on the day of consultation.
No discussion of complications. Every honest surgeon discusses capsular contracture, rupture, and revision scenarios before breast surgery.

5. Five Questions to Ask in Consultation

Are you a board-certified plastic surgery specialist (성형외과 전문의), and may I see the certificate?
Will you personally perform my entire surgery, and will that be stated on the consent form?
Who manages anesthesia during my surgery, and what monitoring is used?
What is your protocol if capsular contracture or rupture occurs later?
What does the post-operative follow-up schedule look like?

About UNE Plastic Surgery

UNE Plastic Surgery is a breast-surgery-focused clinic in Gangnam, Seoul. Dr. Kim Uigeon is a board-certified plastic surgeon (성형외과 전문의) and a member of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons; he personally performs consultation, surgery, and follow-up. The clinic operates with an anesthesiologist on site for general anesthesia and follows the operating-room CCTV requirement.