Community
Skin, K-beauty, Korea trips and the beauty industry — ask and share
How to check if a Korean clinic is registered to treat foreign patients
When picking a dermatology clinic in Korea, it's easy to go by social media reviews or an agency's say-so. There's one official check you can add: whether the clinic is registered to attract foreign patients. What is it?
0 0Seoul clinic recommendation threads: how do you spot the adverts?
A short question on the Tripadvisor Seoul forum: travelling in spring, can anyone recommend reputable skin clinics? The replies are a good example of how these threads tend to go. What the replies said An early reply sug
0 0A good-value dermatologist with no English: has anyone brought an interpreter?
This thread is a few years old, but the question keeps coming up. On the Tripadvisor Seoul forum, a traveller said a friend had recommended a reasonably priced dermatology clinic with no English-speaking doctors. Clinics
0 0Using a booking agency or interpreter for a Korean skin clinic: what to check
Many foreign travellers book Korean dermatology clinics through agencies or interpreting services. It lowers the language barrier, but travel forums also have stories like "the price changed along the way" or "I didn't k
0 0Korea's VAT refund on cosmetic procedures for tourists has lapsed — a bill to revive it is under review
Foreign tourists used to get back the VAT paid on cosmetic surgery and skin treatments in Korea. The special rule began in 2016 and was extended several times, but it ended at the close of 2025. Where things stand: In Ap
0 0Not just Seoul: foreign patients in Busan and Jeju more than doubled
When people think of Korean medical tourism, Seoul, and especially Gangnam, still comes to mind first. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's numbers back that up: in 2025, 87.2% of foreign patients went to Seoul. But the
0 0Korea passed 2 million foreign patients in 2025 — over 60% for dermatology
Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare says about 2.01 million foreign patients came to Korea in 2025, the first time the figure topped 2 million since records began in 2009. Key points: Dermatology: about 1.313 million,
0 0Skin clinic on a trip: what makes you hesitate most?
Lots of people go back and forth on whether to visit a dermatology clinic during a Korea trip. Looking at the questions on travel forums, the worries usually boil down to a few things: Language: not being sure you really
Poll
Skin clinic during a trip: your biggest worry?
Pick one to see the results
0 0The VAT refund on cosmetic procedures for tourists has ended (for now)
If you're planning a skin treatment in Korea, here's a change to know. The special rule that refunded VAT to foreign tourists on cosmetic and dermatology procedures has ended, and a bill to bring it back until 31 Decembe
0 02.01 million foreign patients came to Korea last year; 6 in 10 saw a dermatologist
There's now an official number for how big Korean medical tourism has become. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2.01 million foreign patients visited Korea in 2025, the first time the total passed 2 millio
0 0Skin clinic before-and-after photos and social reviews: how much do you trust them?
Search for a Korean skin clinic and you'll find endless before-and-after photos, influencer visits and translated reviews. "Can I trust this review?" is a question that pops up on travel forums all the time. The opinions
0 0Had a procedure in Korea: will a clinic back home remove the stitches?
In August 2026, a post became a topic on Girls Channel, a large Japanese women's forum. A dermatology clinic in Japan got a booking call from someone who had cosmetic surgery in Korea and wanted stitches removed and pain
0 1Myeongdong Cathedral and the night food alleys: a quiet stop before the street snacks
A few minutes off Myeongdong's main shopping street stands a red-brick Gothic building that feels like a different pace entirely: Myeongdong Cathedral, completed in 1898 as Korea's first Gothic-style brick church, offici
0 0Dongdaemun General Market
Opened in 1970, Dongdaemun General Market has shared the joys and sorrows of Dongdaemun Market for more than 40 years. It is a large specialty market selling fabric for clothing, clothing notions, accessories, and some b
0 0