{"id":807,"slug":"how-to-verify-english-speaking-plastic-surgery-clinics-in-gangnam-before-booking-treatment","question":"How to verify English-speaking plastic surgery clinics in Gangnam before booking treatment?","intent":"local","language":"en","url":"https://worldwiki.io/q/how-to-verify-english-speaking-plastic-surgery-clinics-in-gangnam-before-booking-treatment","entity":{"slug":"medical-tourism-korea","name":"Medical Tourism Korea","url":"https://worldwiki.io/entity/medical-tourism-korea"},"answer":{"short_answer":"worldwiki.io does not rank or recommend clinics. To assess English-speaking plastic surgery clinics in Gangnam, first check on the Medical Korea portal that the clinic is registered to attract foreign patients. Then confirm that the treating surgeon is a plastic surgery specialist, and ask in writing whether the surgeon or a hospital-employed interpreter will speak English at consultation and consent. Registration matters because recruiting foreign patients without it is a criminal offence in Korea.","detailed_answer":"<p>Plastic surgery accounted for 11.2% of foreign patients in Korea in 2025. Seoul treated 87.2% of all foreign patients, and clinic-level facilities handled 87.7% <span class=\"ref\">[3]</span>. Many clinics compete for the same patients, so the following checks matter more than advertising or brand names.</p><ul><li><strong>Registration:</strong> Medical Korea (KHIDI) lists institutions and facilitators registered to serve international patients <span class=\"ref\">[2]</span>. Registration with the metropolitan or provincial government is required by Article 6 of the Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Medical Services and Attraction of International Patients. Recruiting foreign patients without it can lead to up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to KRW 30 million <span class=\"ref\">[5]</span>.</li><li><strong>District listing:</strong> Gangnam-gu runs the Gangnam Medical Tour Center website, which lists partner medical institutions <span class=\"ref\">[6]</span>. Such a listing is administrative. It is not a quality rating.</li><li><strong>Language in practice:</strong> ask who will speak English during the examination, the consent discussion and follow-up. Also ask whether consent documents are available in English.</li><li><strong>Surgeon credentials:</strong> ask for the surgeon's name. Check specialist status through the Korean Medical Association or the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.</li><li><strong>Legal entity:</strong> the clinic's legal name and address should match public institution records <span class=\"ref\">[7]</span>. One brand may operate several legal entities.</li><li><strong>Products:</strong> for implants, fillers or cell-based offers, ask for the product name and its approval status with MFDS <span class=\"ref\">[1]</span>.</li><li><strong>Liability and follow-up:</strong> registered institutions have had to carry malpractice liability insurance since 2016 <span class=\"ref\">[4]</span>. Also ask for the written revision and refund policy and the plan for care after you return home.</li></ul>","format":"list","confidence":80,"verified_at":"2026-09-18 07:10:23","updated_at":"2026-09-18 16:10:23"},"sources":[{"id":3,"title":"Ministry of Food and Drug Safety — English site","url":"https://www.mfds.go.kr/eng/","publisher":"MFDS, Republic of Korea","type":"government","accessed_at":"2026-09-18 18:00:01"},{"id":13,"title":"Medical Korea — official medical tourism portal (KHIDI)","url":"https://www.medicalkorea.or.kr/en/index","publisher":"Korea Health Industry Development Institute","type":"government","accessed_at":"2026-09-18 18:00:01"},{"id":232,"title":"2025년 외국인 환자 유치 200만 돌파 아시아 의료관광 '중심국가' 도약 (press release)","url":"https://www.mohw.go.kr/board.es?mid=a10503010100&bid=0027&act=view&list_no=1490280","publisher":"Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea","type":"government","accessed_at":"2026-09-19 18:00:09"},{"id":233,"title":"Medical Korea > Reliable","url":"https://www.medicalkorea.or.kr/en/reliable","publisher":"Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI)","type":"government","accessed_at":"2026-09-19 18:00:09"},{"id":234,"title":"외국인환자 유치기관 등록제도 안내","url":"https://news.seoul.go.kr/welfare/archives/531323","publisher":"Seoul Metropolitan Government","type":"government","accessed_at":"2026-09-19 18:00:09"},{"id":51,"title":"SC301의원 상세보기 - 의료기관 협력기관","url":"https://medicaltour.gangnam.go.kr/medical/clinic/view.do?medical_seq=814&cid=20&lang=ko","publisher":"강남구 강남메디컬투어센터","type":"government","accessed_at":"2026-09-18 18:00:22"},{"id":64,"title":"건강보험심사평가원_의료기관별상세정보서비스","url":"https://www.data.go.kr/data/15001699/openapi.do","publisher":"공공데이터포털 / 건강보험심사평가원","type":"government","accessed_at":"2026-09-19 18:01:17"}],"published_at":"2026-09-18 07:10:23"}