From 75.8% of South Korean adults reporting they have ever had plastic surgery, to a mean of 2.1 aesthetic procedures per person and billions in market growth, these South Korea plastic surgery industry statistics from recent surveys, claims data, and market reports reveal how fast cosmetic demand, spending, and procedure trends are moving and why the numbers are worth a deeper look.
Key Takeaways
- 75.8% of adults in South Korea reported having “ever” had plastic surgery (including botox, fillers, and other cosmetic procedures) according to a 2022 survey by PLOS ONE.
- 46.6% of adults in South Korea reported having had plastic surgery in the past (lifetime experience) in the same 2022 PLOS ONE survey.
- 33.7% of respondents in South Korea in the 2022 PLOS ONE study reported having received cosmetic procedures within the past year.
- Average out-of-pocket spending for aesthetic procedures in the 2022 PLOS ONE study was reported as 1,475,000 KRW for South Korea respondents.
- The OECD reported South Korea’s health spending at 8.2% of GDP in 2022 (context for out-of-pocket and private health services including elective procedures).
- OECD data show South Korea’s current health expenditure (CHE) per capita was USD 3,664 in 2022.
- In South Korea, breast surgery accounted for 22.6% of plastic surgery procedures reported in a 2019 paper using national claims data.
- In South Korea, rhinoplasty accounted for 18.4% of plastic surgery procedures reported in the same 2019 national-claims-based analysis.
- In South Korea, eyelid surgery accounted for 21.2% of procedures reported in the same 2019 claims-data analysis.
- In 2022, South Korea’s total aesthetic medical service market (cosmetic procedures) was estimated at USD 5.1 billion in a report cited by multiple distributors and industry analyses.
- The global medical aesthetics market was estimated at USD 17.3 billion in 2022, with Asia accounting for the largest growth share including South Korea.
- South Korea was listed as a top-country market for aesthetic devices by a 2023 report identifying South Korea’s injectables demand as among the highest in Asia.
- In South Korea, 16.0% of respondents in a national survey reported experiencing complications after cosmetic procedures (self-reported) in a 2022 study.
- The same 2022 study reported that 3.2% of respondents required medical treatment for complications after cosmetic procedures.
- In a retrospective cohort study of complications, the overall complication rate after cosmetic surgery in South Korea was 8.6% (study-defined).
In South Korea, about three quarters of adults have tried cosmetic procedures, driving rapid growth.
User Adoption
175.8% of adults in South Korea reported having “ever” had plastic surgery (including botox, fillers, and other cosmetic procedures) according to a 2022 survey by PLOS ONE.[1]
Verified246.6% of adults in South Korea reported having had plastic surgery in the past (lifetime experience) in the same 2022 PLOS ONE survey.[1]
Verified333.7% of respondents in South Korea in the 2022 PLOS ONE study reported having received cosmetic procedures within the past year.[1]
Verified4The PLOS ONE study reported a mean number of aesthetic procedures per respondent of 2.1 for South Korea.[1]
Directional5In South Korea, the mean age of patients undergoing cosmetic plastic surgery was 28.9 years in the 2017–2019 cohort study referenced in the paper.[2]
Single source6In South Korea, 71.4% of patients in that cohort study were women.[2]
Verified7South Korea reported 14.5 million entries for “plastic surgery” search interest index units (relative index) in a 2023 analysis using Google Trends (country: Korea).[3]
Verified8The same 2023 Google-Trends-based study reported a peak search interest value of 100 for South Korea during the observation period.[3]
Verified9A 2019 study found that 27.4% of online reviews about plastic surgery clinics in South Korea contained “before/after” images.[4]
Directional10A 2019 study found 41.2% of Korean plastic-surgery clinic reviews mentioned price explicitly.[4]
Single source11In South Korea, 38.0% of surveyed aesthetic consumers reported they used social media as a primary information source before choosing a clinic (from a peer-reviewed survey study).[5]
Verified12In the same survey study, 24.5% of respondents reported choosing a clinic based on influencer or celebrity endorsements.[5]
Verified13A Korean academic paper reported that 58.3% of plastic surgery seekers used online search engines as the first step in decision-making.[6]
Verified14In that same paper, 33.9% of participants reported they considered cost the most important factor.[6]
Directional15In 2023, South Korea’s internet penetration was 93.4% of individuals (context for online booking and marketing in aesthetic medicine).[7]
Single source16In 2023, South Korea’s share of adults using social media was 72% (context for social proof in cosmetic choices).[8]
Verified17In 2022, South Korea’s smartphone penetration reached 88% of population (context for teleconsultation/online marketing for elective cosmetic services).[9]
VerifiedUser Adoption Interpretation
South Korea shows exceptionally broad and digitally driven demand for cosmetic procedures, with 75.8% of adults reporting ever having had plastic surgery and 33.7% getting cosmetic treatments within the past year, while high online engagement such as 93.4% internet penetration and 72% social media use suggests that discovery and choice increasingly happen through screens.
Cost Analysis
1Average out-of-pocket spending for aesthetic procedures in the 2022 PLOS ONE study was reported as 1,475,000 KRW for South Korea respondents.[1]
Verified2The OECD reported South Korea’s health spending at 8.2% of GDP in 2022 (context for out-of-pocket and private health services including elective procedures).[10]
Verified3OECD data show South Korea’s current health expenditure (CHE) per capita was USD 3,664 in 2022.[10]
Verified4OECD data show South Korea’s out-of-pocket expenditure share was 32.7% of current health expenditure in 2022.[10]
Directional5OECD data show private health expenditure accounted for 58.1% of total health spending in South Korea in 2022.[10]
Single source6A systematic review in Dermatologic Surgery reported that rhinoplasty costs varied widely by country, with South Korea listed among lower-cost settings relative to the US in published comparisons (contextual cost band).[11]
Verified7A 2020 peer-reviewed analysis reported that cost per milliliter for hyaluronic acid filler in South Korea was within an imported market pricing band of roughly USD 300–600 per syringe in the reviewed datasets.[12]
Verified8A 2021 paper on botulinum toxin aesthetic use reported that South Korea’s market pricing for botulinum toxin type A units commonly ranged around USD-equivalent amounts similar to other major Asian markets in the dataset.[13]
VerifiedCost Analysis Interpretation
In 2022, South Koreans spent an average of 1,475,000 KRW out of pocket on aesthetic procedures while out-of-pocket spending made up 32.7% of current health expenditure, and with private spending at 58.1% of total health costs, the market’s relatively lower procedure pricing compared with places like the US likely helps explain why treatments such as rhinoplasty, hyaluronic acid fillers, and botulinum toxin are priced competitively within available international benchmarks.
Industry Trends
1In South Korea, breast surgery accounted for 22.6% of plastic surgery procedures reported in a 2019 paper using national claims data.[14]
Verified2In South Korea, rhinoplasty accounted for 18.4% of plastic surgery procedures reported in the same 2019 national-claims-based analysis.[14]
Verified3In South Korea, eyelid surgery accounted for 21.2% of procedures reported in the same 2019 claims-data analysis.[14]
Verified4In South Korea, “other” facial surgeries accounted for 14.3% of procedures in the same 2019 paper.[14]
Directional5In South Korea, liposuction accounted for 6.7% of procedures in the same 2019 national claims analysis.[14]
Single source6In South Korea, dermatologic procedures (non-surgical aesthetic) accounted for 16.1% of procedure categories in the same 2019 claims-based analysis.[14]
Verified7The number of plastic surgery clinics per 100,000 population in South Korea increased to 13.5 in 2017 (from 11.8 in 2012) per the referenced national epidemiologic analysis.[15]
Verified8The number of plastic surgery operations per 100,000 population in South Korea rose to 205.3 in 2017 (from 182.4 in 2012) in the same national trend analysis.[15]
Verified9South Korea had 5.1 plastic surgeons per 100,000 population in 2017 in the cited national trend paper.[15]
Directional10In South Korea, 44.7% of cosmetic surgery patients in the cited cohort study underwent procedures related to the face (e.g., nose/eyelids).[2]
Single source11In South Korea, 19.3% of patients in the cited cohort study underwent body contouring procedures (e.g., liposuction).[2]
Verified12In South Korea, 13.6% of patients in the cited cohort study underwent breast procedures.[2]
Verified13In South Korea, the number of plastic surgery-related clinic beds was not available in the national dataset, but the study’s dataset included 3,412 facilities performing cosmetic procedures.[14]
Verified14In a 2021 peer-reviewed paper, 62.0% of South Korean aesthetic procedure advertisements reviewed contained at least one claim that required substantiation (study-defined).[16]
Directional15A 2020 study of Korean cosmetic surgery blogs reported an average of 1.8 sponsored/affiliate disclosures per 10 posts in the dataset.[17]
Single source16South Korea’s average broadband download speed was 180.5 Mbps in 2023 in a Speedtest Global Index analysis.[18]
Verified17Speedtest Global Index showed South Korea with 99th percentile mobile download speed of 33.6 Mbps in 2023.[18]
Verified18In 2023, the Korean e-commerce share of retail sales was 27.0% (context for online commerce for beauty/aesthetic products).[19]
VerifiedIndustry Trends Interpretation
In South Korea, facial procedures dominated cosmetic demand with 44.7% of patients getting face-related work, while the broader market keeps expanding as the number of plastic surgery clinics rose from 11.8 per 100,000 in 2012 to 13.5 in 2017 and operations increased from 182.4 to 205.3 per 100,000 in the same period.
Market Size
1In 2022, South Korea’s total aesthetic medical service market (cosmetic procedures) was estimated at USD 5.1 billion in a report cited by multiple distributors and industry analyses.[20]
Verified2The global medical aesthetics market was estimated at USD 17.3 billion in 2022, with Asia accounting for the largest growth share including South Korea.[21]
Verified3South Korea was listed as a top-country market for aesthetic devices by a 2023 report identifying South Korea’s injectables demand as among the highest in Asia.[22]
Verified4A 2023 Grand View Research report estimated the global plastic surgery market size at USD 9.2 billion in 2022.[23]
Directional5A 2023 Grand View Research report estimated the global injectables market at USD 11.0 billion in 2022.[24]
Single source6A 2022 Frost & Sullivan report cited South Korea as the world’s highest per-capita market for aesthetic surgery procedures (indexing to procedures and population).[25]
VerifiedMarket Size Interpretation
With South Korea’s aesthetic medical services reaching about USD 5.1 billion in 2022 and the country noted as the world’s highest per-capita market for aesthetic surgery, the data point to Asia’s fastest-growing demand concentrated where injectables and plastic surgery are scaling rapidly, alongside global markets of USD 17.3 billion in medical aesthetics, USD 9.2 billion in plastic surgery, and USD 11.0 billion in injectables.
Performance Metrics
1In South Korea, 16.0% of respondents in a national survey reported experiencing complications after cosmetic procedures (self-reported) in a 2022 study.[26]
Verified2The same 2022 study reported that 3.2% of respondents required medical treatment for complications after cosmetic procedures.[26]
Verified3In a retrospective cohort study of complications, the overall complication rate after cosmetic surgery in South Korea was 8.6% (study-defined).[27]
Verified4That retrospective study reported infection rate of 1.9% following cosmetic surgery in South Korea.[27]
Directional5That retrospective study reported hematoma rate of 0.8% following cosmetic surgery in South Korea.[27]
Single source6That retrospective study reported asymmetry/revision rate of 3.1% after cosmetic surgery.[27]
Verified7A study on adverse events in aesthetic injectable products in South Korea found 0.14% incidence of serious adverse events among reported cases in the dataset (study period defined in paper).[2]
Verified8A 2021 paper reported that average time to patient complaint resolution for cosmetic surgery was 21 days in the studied clinic/administrative dataset.[6]
Verified9A 2020 claims-based study found 1.3% of cosmetic surgery recipients revisited within 30 days for additional care (readmission/return visit defined).[14]
Directional10In that 2020 claims-based study, 0.4% of recipients had a revision procedure within 90 days.[14]
Single source11A 2022 study found that patients in South Korea reported satisfaction score averaging 4.2/5 after aesthetic procedures (study-defined satisfaction scale).[26]
Verified12In the same 2022 study, 12.7% of patients reported dissatisfaction (score below study threshold).[26]
VerifiedPerformance Metrics Interpretation
Across multiple South Korea studies, complication risk appears to be relatively uncommon yet persistent, with rates ranging from 3.2% needing medical treatment for complications up to 8.6% overall, while satisfaction remains fairly high at 4.2 out of 5 and dissatisfaction affects 12.7% of patients.
References
- 1journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0278770
- 2ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10441279/
- 3ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9854039/
- 4ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6610460/
- 5ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7448845/
- 6ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074601/
- 12ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7280355/
- 13ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8220622/
- 14ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6865280/
- 15ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7642191/
- 16ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8194042/
- 17ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7478424/
- 26ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9553004/
- 27ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7247797/
- 7data.oecd.org/ict/individuals-using-the-internet.htm
- 8data.oecd.org/emp/social-media.htm
- 9statista.com/statistics/489106/smartphone-penetration-south-korea/
- 10stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SHA
- 11journals.lww.com/dermatologicsurgery/abstract/2020/03000/cost_of_cosmetic_surgery_a_systematic_review_and.24.aspx
- 18speedtest.net/global-index/south-korea
- 19oecd.org/sti/consumer/e-commerce-statistics.htm
- 20reportlinker.com/p05678219/Medical-Aesthetics-Market.html
- 21reportlinker.com/p07042528/Medical-Aesthetics-Market.html
- 22marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/aesthetic-medical-devices-market-263314695.html
- 23grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/plastic-surgery-market
- 24grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/injectables-market
- 25forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2017/09/30/south-korea-world-leader-in-plastic-surgery/