Sinsa and Apgujeong Clinics: A Guide for Foreigners
Sinsa and Apgujeong sit side by side north of Gangnam Station and hold many of Seoul’s plastic surgery clinics as well as skin and injectable clinics. If you are having surgery in Seoul, there is a good chance it will be here.
Because surgery and skin clinics are mixed together, the main thing is to know which one you need before you start booking consultations, and to plan your hotel around the clinic you choose.
Who ends up here
- Anyone planning plastic surgery, because many surgical clinics are clustered here.
- People combining a skin treatment with shopping on Garosu-gil.
- Visitors comparing two or three surgical consultations in one day; the clinics are within walking distance of each other.
Where to stay if you are having surgery here
Stay within walking distance or a short taxi ride of the clinic. You will go back for check-ups and stitch removal, and you will not want the subway in the first days.
A serviced apartment with a kitchen and a washing machine is usually more comfortable than a hotel for a recovery of a week or more.
The districts, and what each is like
| Area | What it is | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Sinsa / Garosu-gil | Skin and injectable clinics among cafés and shops, plus surgical clinics on the main road. | — |
| Apgujeong Station | A dense cluster of plastic surgery clinics. | Check who the operating surgeon is, not just the clinic name |
| Apgujeong Rodeo / Cheongdam | Quieter, higher-priced skin and lifting clinics to the east. | — |
Getting there and getting around
| Sinsa Station | Line 3 and Sinbundang Line. Garosu-gil and many clinics are a short walk from the exits. |
|---|---|
| Apgujeong Station | Line 3. One stop from Sinsa, with a dense cluster of surgical clinics around it. |
| To Gangnam Station | A few stops on the Sinbundang Line from Sinsa. |
| From Incheon Airport | Plan on 70–100 minutes by taxi or airport bus, longer at rush hour. |
Clinics in Sinsa & Apgujeong we can connect you with
COMEDI works with these clinics and is paid a referral fee by them. They are listed in alphabetical order, not ranked. Each page shows what we confirmed and what we could not.
What treatments cost here
Mistakes that cost people their trip
- Booking surgery after a single online consultation without asking who the operating surgeon is.
- Planning to fly home before your stitches are out. Ask the clinic for the exact day before booking your flight.
- Having the consent conversation through a translation app. Ask for an interpreter in the room.
- Saying yes to extra procedures at the consultation. Ask what changes if you skip each one.
Questions people actually ask
Is Sinsa or Apgujeong better for surgery?
Neither is better as an area. Choose the surgeon and the clinic first, then stay near it.
How long should I stay after surgery?
It depends on the operation. Ask the clinic for the day stitches come out and the day you are cleared to fly, and book around those dates.
Can I see several clinics in one day?
Yes, they are close together. Two or three consultations in a day is manageable; more than that tends to blur together.
What should I check before booking?
That the clinic is registered to treat international patients, who will operate, how an interpreter is arranged, and an itemised written quote.