Breast lift in Seoul: four clinics compared

A breast lift, or mastopexy, raises a breast that has dropped by removing skin and reshaping the tissue underneath. It trades sagging for a scar, and it does not add volume, which is why many lifts are done together with implants. This page sets out what four Seoul clinics that offer the operation to patients from abroad publish about it, under the same headings for each, and what none of them publishes. For implants alone, see breast augmentation in Seoul: four clinics compared; for a lift combined with replacing old implants, see breast revision in Seoul.

ID Hospital, JW and MINE appeared in English search results for breast lift and sagging breast surgery in Korea and have English pages about the operation. All four are in Gangnam-gu. The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) lists ID Hospital as a hospital (병원) and the other three as clinics (의원). Everything below comes from the clinics’ own pages, read on 1 October 2026, from HIRA’s record of the doctors each reports, from the member directory of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (KSPRS), and from the sources listed at the foot of the page.

What a lift does and does not do

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) describes a breast lift as raising the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue. It adds that a lift does not significantly change the size of the breasts or round out the upper part, and that anyone who wants them fuller should consider a lift with augmentation. The procedure page names three common incision patterns: around the areola; around the areola and down to the crease, often called a lollipop; and the same with a further cut along the crease, called an anchor or inverted T. The longer the incision, the more skin can be removed and the more scar is left. ASPS says the incision lines are permanent but in most cases fade and improve over time.

Surgeons grade sagging, or ptosis, by where the nipple sits against the fold under the breast. The scale most often cited, described by Paule Regnault in 1976, has three degrees of true ptosis plus pseudoptosis, in which the nipple stays above the fold while the tissue below it drops. A 2020 review tabulates the cut-offs: grade I with the nipple at the fold or up to 1 cm below it, grade II at 1 to 3 cm below, and grade III with the nipple at the lowest point of the breast. The grade is a guide to the incision, not a rule; the clinics below map them in slightly different ways.

Whether to add an implant, and whether to do both in one operation, is where the clinics’ pages differ most. ASPS says implants can be placed at the same time or as a second procedure, depending on the surgeon’s experience. Doing both at once means one anaesthetic and one recovery; staging means two of each. A systematic review of single-stage augmentation-mastopexy, pooling 23 studies and 4,856 cases, found a total complication rate of 13.1 per cent. The most common complication was recurrent sagging, at 5.2 per cent, followed by poor scarring. In the 13 studies that reported it, 10.7 per cent of patients had a further operation. Most of the studies followed patients for less than a year, and the authors describe their definitions as varied. Single centres report higher figures. A retrospective review of 332 one-stage operations over five years at one US private practice found a reoperation rate of 23.2 per cent, and a retrospective review of 615 patients at one Los Angeles outpatient surgery centre found that 16.9 per cent chose revision surgery. These are single-centre numbers with their own definitions, not rates to expect in Seoul. No comparable Korean series turned up in our search.

If the lift includes implants, the implant rules apply as well. The US Food and Drug Administration says breast implants are not considered lifetime devices. The KSPRS and Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, in a joint question-and-answer page, recommend a yearly check with your surgeon or a breast specialist once an implant has been in for a year, even without symptoms. Silicone gel breast implants are on the ministry’s list of tracked medical devices, so leave Korea with the product and serial number on paper.

How the four compare

Each clinic is set out under the same seven headings: who operates, how it grades sagging and which incisions it uses, when it adds an implant, anaesthesia and stay, price, what it offers patients from abroad, and public records. Umnagumo comes first, and the other three follow in alphabetical order.

Umnagumo Plastic Surgery

Who operates. Umnagumo (엄나구모성형외과의원) occupies the sixth floor of SB Tower, 318 Dosan-daero, which is four minutes from exit 6 of Nonhyeon Station on Line 7. The clinic calls itself a single-specialty breast clinic, and its doctors page puts the opening in 2003, while other pages on the same site mention 25 years. According to the Korean lift page, the two directors, Dr Soonchan Eom and Dr Junghyun Nam, both of whom are described as plastic surgery specialists, carry out the operations, and Dr Na Jungyeol (나중열), an anaesthesiology specialist, provides the anaesthetic. The clinic’s Korean guide to choosing a lift surgeon, which Dr Nam wrote, states that the anaesthesiologist is present at every operation. The English doctors page names only the two directors.

Grading and incisions. The Korean lift page maps three grades of sagging, and pseudoptosis, to an approach. Grade 1, with the nipple near the fold, gets a lift around the areola, with an implant considered if volume is short. Grade 2, with the nipple 1 to 3 cm below the fold, adds a vertical incision. Grade 3, more than 3 cm below with the nipple pointing down, gets an inverted-T incision, with reduction considered if the breast is large. For pseudoptosis the page favours restoring volume and rearranging tissue over cutting. These cut-offs follow the Regnault scale, although the page does not name it. The same page says a lift does not remove scars but leaves them where they show less. A separate areola lift is offered for mild cases. Most of this detail is on the Korean page only: the English reduction and lift page is written mainly about reduction. The before-and-after gallery on the reduction and lift pages is headed as augmentation and revision cases, not lift cases.

When it adds an implant. The Korean guide sets out the rule: lift alone if the breast has only dropped, reduction as well if it is large and heavy, an implant or fat graft if the upper breast has emptied, and exchange plus lift if an existing implant is the problem. The Korean FAQ says a lift alone is possible when volume is sufficient. Umnagumo is the only one of the four that publishes criteria for splitting the work into two operations, and those are for replacing old implants with a lift. Its English revision page says it combines implant exchange and lift in one operation, setting the implant first and then tailoring the skin to it, and stages only for infection or inflammation, heavily calcified capsules, or thin tissue where the nipple’s blood supply is a concern. The pages do not state a staging policy for a first lift with implants.

Anaesthesia and stay. The Korean lift page gives two to four hours under general anaesthesia, discharge on the day, stitches out around day 10 and a return to daily life in five to seven days; the headline on the same page says about 180 minutes. The areola lift takes 60 to 120 minutes under local anaesthesia or sedation. The safety page offers overnight observation on request; HIRA lists no inpatient beds at the clinic, so ask where an overnight stay would be. For time in Seoul, the English pages give 7 to 10 days for reduction with a lift and 4 to 6 days for an areola lift, and different figures again for other operations, from four to ten days. None is given for a lift with implants. The Korean page schedules checks at day 10, with a blood test for inflammation, then at three weeks and two months. Its Korean FAQ says scars start to fade from two to three months but remain and may widen, and declines to promise a thin line within any set period; the English page says scars typically resemble a thin pale line by 6 to 12 months, and the Korean page also carries the banner “흉터걱정 ZERO” (no scar worries).

Price. Umnagumo is the only one of the four to publish a lift price, and only as an add-on. Its Korean price page puts augmentation with implants at 7.7 to 11 million won, depending on the implant, and adds 4 million won when a lift is done at the same time; by our arithmetic that is 11.7 to 15 million won for the two together. Prices exclude 10 per cent VAT, and card payment adds 100,000 won. No price is published for a lift alone or an areola lift. The English price page also describes a “member price” that requires sending support-bra progress photographs or videos at one week, one month, two months and six months, and consenting to their use by the clinic; it does not say plainly whether the posted figures are member prices, so ask. The clinic states no warranty of its own for a lift; its safety page refers to the implant manufacturers’ warranties.

Patients from abroad. The site runs in Korean, English and Japanese. The English pages give a WhatsApp number that they say goes straight to the chairman’s line, and say photo or video follow-up continues after you go home.

Public records. HIRA lists two doctors, both plastic surgery specialists, two operating rooms and no inpatient beds. It lists no anaesthesiology specialist, although the clinic names one. Both directors appear as active members in the KSPRS directory. The medicalkorea registry has an active record under the clinic’s Korean name and the business number on its Korean pages; the different business number printed on its English pages returns no record.

ID Hospital

Who operates. ID Hospital (아이디병원) occupies the basement and first three floors of 142 Dosan-daero, 200 metres from exit 1 of Sinsa Station on Line 3. Its pages do not give an opening year and speak of 21 and 22 years in different places. The English lift page does not name the surgeon; it refers to collaboration with a breast surgery specialist. The staff page lists 16 doctors described as board-certified plastic surgeons and five board-certified anaesthesiologists, without saying who does breast surgery, and the hospital describes anaesthesiologists on site around the clock.

Grading and incisions. Three stages, chosen through what the hospital calls its “Pretty Breast Volume” algorithm. The English page defines stage 1 as the nipple within 1 cm above the fold, which is not how the Regnault scale defines grade I (at the fold or up to 1 cm below); the Korean page gives “within 1 cm” without a direction. Stage 2 is 1 to 3 cm below and stage 3 more than 3 cm below. Incisions are around the areola for milder sagging, around the areola plus a 4 to 5 cm vertical cut, and an inverted T for very large or severely sagging breasts with little elasticity.

When it adds an implant. Implants alone for small, firm breasts with grade 1 or 2 sagging; lift plus implants for grade 3 or worse. The Korean page adds an option of implants plus what it calls stem-cell fat grafting to fill an empty upper breast. The page says a lift alone does not change breast size. It does not say whether the lift and implant are done in one operation or two.

Anaesthesia and stay. The lift page’s summary box gives one hour under general anaesthesia, no hospital stay, no stitches to remove and a recovery time of three to four days. The FAQ on the same page gives 30 minutes to an hour, stitch removal about 10 days after surgery and two to four days of recovery. The page says travel timing should be confirmed with the hospital and gives no figure for time in Seoul. Of the four, it is the only one HIRA lists with inpatient beds.

Price. Not published for a lift; the English pages route to a price inquiry. Under a Motiva heading, the breast surgery page offers support for re-operation costs and implants after rupture or grade 3 or 4 capsular contracture within five years, without saying whether that is the hospital’s own policy or the manufacturer’s. No lift-specific revision policy is stated.

Patients from abroad. An English hotline, email, WhatsApp, Skype, KakaoTalk and LINE, a site in about a dozen languages, and post-operative consultation after you return home.

Public records. HIRA lists 38 doctors and seven dentists, including 15 plastic surgery specialists and four anaesthesiology specialists, one fewer of each than the staff page shows. It lists 30 inpatient beds and 17 operating rooms; another page of the hospital’s site says 20. The representative director appears as an active member in the KSPRS directory; because the lift surgeon is not named, we could not check that surgeon. The medicalkorea registry has an active record for the hospital.

JW Plastic Surgery

Who operates. JW (JW정원성형외과의원) occupies the third to seventh floors of 553 Samseong-ro, 150 metres from exit 6 of Samseong Jungang Station on Line 9. Its pages do not give an opening year. Its breast surgeon, Dr Chul Hwan Seul, is described as a board-certified plastic surgeon specialising in breast surgery, but the lift page does not say who operates. The clinic says all its surgeons are board-certified plastic surgery specialists and medical school professors, and that it has an anaesthesiologist.

Grading and incisions. Sagging is graded on this page by comparing the nipple with the fold, yet no measurements are given. Four incisions are named: a crescent above the areola for slight sagging, often combined with augmentation; around the areola for moderate sagging; vertical for severe sagging; and an inverted T for large or sagging breasts. Umnagumo’s page assigns the incision around the areola to mild sagging; MINE’s incision article uses it for mild and moderate sagging. The page states “No scarring!” and, on the following line, “There will be minimal scarring without visible threads”.

When it adds an implant. Small breasts with mild sagging get augmentation alone, through the armpit with an endoscope and a dual-plane pocket where needed. Small breasts with severe sagging get a lift and augmentation at the same time. A staged option is not mentioned.

Anaesthesia and stay. Three to four hours under general anaesthesia, no hospital stay, no stitches to remove, three or four follow-up visits. The summary box gives a return to normal life after three to four days and the recovery section two to three. No figure is given for time in Seoul.

Price. Not published. No warranty or revision policy is stated.

Patients from abroad. Translation in English, Chinese, Russian, French and other languages; the clinic says all its doctors speak English. The English desk is open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 17:30 Korean time. Breast surgery still does not appear in the main procedures menu of the English site, although the lift page is live.

Public records. HIRA lists six doctors: five plastic surgery specialists and one anaesthesiology specialist, one more plastic surgeon than the site lists. Dr Seul appears as an active member in the KSPRS directory. The medicalkorea registry has an active record for its business number.

MINE Plastic Surgery

Who operates. MINE (마인성형외과의원) occupies the fourth floor of 813 Nonhyeon-ro, next to exit 4 of Apgujeong Station on Line 3. No opening year appears on its pages. One plastic surgeon, Dr Lee Sung Wook, is named on the staff page; he is described as a board-certified plastic surgery specialist who trained at Seoul Asan Hospital, and he is listed with an anaesthesiology specialist and a skin doctor. The surgeon is not named on the lift page.

Grading and incisions. The lift page sets out a plan by stage: implants alone when the nipple is level with the fold or up to 1 cm below it, and lift plus implants when it is 1 to 3 cm below. A third card, for severe sagging, repeats the same “1-3cm below” wording, apparently in error. A clinic article on incisions uses four grades and says that scale follows the framework of professional bodies such as ASPS; the Regnault scale has three. Incisions run from a crescent or periareolar cut for mild sagging to a lollipop or anchor for severe sagging, and the lift page says reduction and lift can be combined for large breasts.

When it adds an implant. As above, from 1 cm below the fold, with fat grafting suggested for severe sagging. For small breasts with little sagging, the page offers a dual-plane implant alone. A clinic article on combining the two says they can be done in a single operation. A staged option is not mentioned. The lift page says breastfeeding is possible after its lift; it gives no data.

Anaesthesia and stay. Two hours under general anaesthesia, discharge on the day, three aftercare sessions and a return to daily life in three to four days, according to the lift page; the combined-surgery article gives two to four hours for a lift with implants. The clinic’s recovery article gives a return to work after one to two weeks and says stitches are typically removed in weeks two to three, while its scar article describes dissolving stitches under the skin. The scar article sets out silicone from weeks three to six, sun protection, and in-clinic laser, microneedling and steroid injections, and says a well-cared-for scar typically becomes barely noticeable within 12 to 18 months. No figure is given for time in Seoul after a lift.

Price. Not published. No warranty or revision policy is stated.

Patients from abroad. Translation in English, Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese, airport transfers, hotel booking, a WhatsApp number and virtual follow-ups after you fly home. The international page also lists “Tax Return”; the VAT refund on cosmetic surgery for foreign patients ended on 31 December 2025, so ask what the clinic means.

Public records. HIRA lists one doctor, a plastic surgery specialist, and no inpatient beds. Dr Lee appears as an active member in the KSPRS directory. The medicalkorea registry has an active record for its business number.

Side by side

What none of the pages answers

Umnagumo, JW and MINE describe a lift combined with implants in one operation, while ID Hospital does not say whether it performs the two together or in two stages. All four send patients home on the day they have surgery. None gives a figure for how long patients should stay in Seoul after the combined procedure, and none states its own revision policy for a breast lift. Before you put down a deposit, get these details in writing:

• Your grade of sagging and the incision it calls for, measured, with the scar outline sketched on a diagram. If you are offered implants alone, ask why a lift is not needed.
• Who performs the operation and who gives the anaesthetic, with their names. On three of the four lift pages, no surgeon is named. Our piece on ghost surgery explains why the surgeon’s name matters in Korea.
• Whether the lift and implants will be done together or in two stages, and why, given the reoperation figures above.
• What a second operation would cost if your breast sags again, the scar grows wider, or the implant has to be replaced.
• The implant’s product and serial numbers. These belong on the tracked-device record, and any surgeon who sees you at home will need them.
• When the stitches come out and how long to stay in Seoul, as distinct from when you leave the clinic. How long to stay in Korea for surgery sets out the general reasoning.

How to choose a clinic in Korea explains how to check that a surgeon has specialist certification, recovery after surgery in Korea covers the first days after you leave the clinic, and the cost guide outlines why Korean surgery prices are so rarely published. The checklist brings the questions above together on a page for you to take along to your consultation.