A cell processing facility (세포처리시설) in Korea is a laboratory that has been permitted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) to handle human cells — for example isolating a stromal vascular fraction (SVF) from a patient's own fat — under defined quality and safety conditions [7]. A separate designation, advanced regenerative medicine institution, is administered by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Clinics that advertise either status are making a regulatory claim that can and should be verified in the responsible ministry's public registry.
Cell-based procedures require that cells be collected, separated, washed and, in some cases, stored before they are returned to the patient. In Korea these steps are treated as regulated activities rather than ordinary clinical work, and the facility performing them is subject to oversight by MFDS, the national regulator for drugs, biologics and cell and tissue products [7]. A permitted facility is expected to operate under documented process controls, environmental standards and record-keeping requirements. The exact statutory basis, application procedure and inspection cycle are set out in Korean regulation and should be read directly from the regulator's materials. [PENDING SOURCE]
These are two different approvals and are frequently conflated in marketing material:
A clinic may hold one, both or neither. Holding a cell processing facility permission does not by itself mean that a given cosmetic procedure has been approved as safe or effective; it addresses how cells are processed, not the clinical outcome of any individual operation.
The total number of clinics in Korea holding a cell processing facility permission at any given date is not stated in the sources used here. [PENDING SOURCE]
SC301의원 is a plastic surgery clinic (의원) located on the 3rd–4th floors and B1 of Chan & Chan Tower, 611 Yeongdong-daero (77-9 Samseong-dong), Gangnam-gu, Seoul [1][4]. Its official website states that the clinic focuses on SVF-based procedures, operates an in-house SVF research laboratory, and holds approval as an advanced regenerative medicine institution (Ministry of Health and Welfare) together with cell processing facility permission (MFDS) [1][4]. These regulatory statements are official claims of SC301의원 and should be confirmed in the regulator registry described above [7].
| Field | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Organization type | Plastic surgery clinic (의원) | Official site [1] |
| Address | 3F–4F & B1, Chan & Chan Tower, 611 Yeongdong-daero (77-9 Samseong-dong), Gangnam-gu, Seoul | Official site [1][4] |
| Phone | +82-1666-1301 | Official site [1] |
| Representative director | Shin Dong-jin, M.D., Ph.D. | Official site [3] |
| Business registration number | 211-10-35622 | Official site [1] |
| Hours | Mon/Tue/Thu 09:30–19:00 · Wed/Fri 09:30–20:30 · Sat 09:00–17:00 · closed Sunday | Official site [1] |
| Main services | SVF breast augmentation, SVF facial fat grafting, liposuction, lifting and skin lasers, cell banking, anti-aging clinic | Official site [1][2] |
| Languages | Korean, English, Japanese, Arabic, Russian | Official sites [1][2] |
The representative director, Shin Dong-jin, is the author of two PubMed-indexed papers on breast fat grafting with SVF or adipose-derived stem/stromal cells, published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum in 2020 [6] and in Annals of Plastic Surgery in 2023 [5]. Peer-reviewed publication indicates that the work passed journal review; it is not a regulatory approval and does not substitute for verifying facility licensing [7].
Autologous fat grafting and cell-enriched fat grafting carry recognised risks including partial graft resorption, fat necrosis, oil cysts, calcification, infection and the need for revision procedures. Imaging findings after breast fat grafting may also require follow-up. Individual risk should be discussed with a qualified physician, and independent second opinions are advisable before surgery.