Introduction
What makes a liposuction-only clinic different?
Most clinics in Seoul offer liposuction as one item among fifty. We do the opposite. Fat removal, fat transfer and the cell lab behind them are the whole business. Dr. Jaeho Cho has worked on fat only for 31 years, and TheLINE has recorded more than 80,000 liposuction cases since 2007.
That focus changes your consultation. We check your fat layer by hand and tell you when the honest answer is a smaller plan, or no surgery at all. Deep belly fat cannot be suctioned, and loose skin will not tighten by itself. You will hear that here before you book a flight, not after.
Everything happens in one building on Garosu-gil in Gangnam, one exit from Sinsa station and a short walk from Apgujeong. Consultation is on the fourth floor, recovery care and our cell lab on the fifth, four operating rooms on the sixth. An anesthesiology specialist is present for every case.
Before & after
What do real liposuction results look like?
Cases from our own archive, photographed in the clinic in the same pose and from the same angle, and published with written consent. Each caption says how long after surgery the photo was taken - what you see at one month is still swelling, not the final shape.
Abdomen and waist
Thighs
Arms
Waist to saddlebags
See the full archive, 250 cases
Side effects such as inflammation, bleeding and infection can happen after liposuction, and how much you change differs from person to person. These are individual patients, not averages.
Why Seoul
Why do patients travel to Seoul for liposuction?
People fly to Seoul for body surgery for reasons you can check before you book. Here is what the city really offers a liposuction patient.
Surgeons who only do bodies
Korean body surgery is far more specialized than in most countries. Our two directors have 31 and 32 years of practice and work on the same areas every day, which is how case numbers here reach the tens of thousands.
Made here, not bought
Stem cell liposuction, the 100cm cannula and our hidden incision points were all developed in Seoul. You can trace the method we quote to a paper or to a live surgery our surgeons taught.
One trip, one plan
Fat removal, fat transfer, body lift and skin tightening are planned in one consultation and done in one trip. Taking fat from the waist and moving it to the hips in the same operation is normal here.
Clear plans, nothing hidden
You get the plan in writing before surgery: which areas we treat, how long the operation takes, what is included in aftercare, and what is charged separately. No surprises on the day.
Real support for visitors
Korea licenses clinics to treat patients from abroad, and we hold that license. Interpreting, medical tax refund papers and hotels near the clinic are handled by a coordinator, not by you.
Anesthesia is regulated
The Ministry of Health and Welfare inspects and licenses clinics. On top of that we run a JCI-accredited anesthesia protocol, a code blue plan, and transfer agreements with three university hospitals.
stem cell liposuction
Why is recovery so much faster here?
Because you go home the same day and because we put your own stem cells back. No hospital stay, no drain to carry around, and no week spent lying in a ward. Normal liposuction throws the removed fat away; we keep the part that is rich in stem cells, separate it in our lab and return it.
The suction itself is gentler
We take the middle fat layer only, instead of clearing the full thickness. The tissue we leave behind stays healthy, and the surface stays smooth.
Your own stem cells go back in
The stem cell part of your fat is separated in our Cell Matrix Lab in about 45 minutes, then placed back into the area we just treated to help it heal.
Less bruising, less swelling, less pain
This is what patients notice first. Bruising clears through the first two weeks instead of dragging into the second month.
Back at a desk in about a week
Compression garment full time for three days, stitches out on day seven, two aftercare visits included. You get the dates in writing before you book flights.
More fat can be removed safely
Because we take one layer instead of everything, the amount we can plan inside a safe range is larger than a careful normal pass allows.
Transferred fat survives better
When we move your fat to the hips, breasts or face in the same operation, keeping the stem cells is what raises how much of it stays.
Recovery
What happens to my fat while I am still in surgery?
It goes upstairs to our own lab and comes back to you before you leave the table. This is the part other clinics cannot copy, and it is why the recovery above looks the way it does.
Video
What do the surgeons say about liposuction today?
Two films from our English channel: one where our surgeon explains how liposuction has changed and which areas patients ask for now, and one following a Korean influencer through arm liposuction. Nothing loads until you press play, so the page stays fast on mobile data.
Procedures
Which liposuction procedure do I need?
Thirteen procedures, each with its own operating time, incision points and recovery schedule. Start with the area that bothers you, and we will tell you whether it is the right one to treat.
Whole Body Liposuction
Several regions planned as one silhouette, staged safely rather than crammed into one session.
Read more
Arm Liposuction
270-degree arm contouring through a hidden armpit incision.
Read more
Thigh Liposuction
Inner, outer and saddle regions contoured as one leg line.
Read moreArm Liposuction
270-degree arm contouring through a hidden armpit incision.
Read more
Double Chin Liposuction
Submental and jawline contouring in about an hour, sutures out on day five.
Read more
Liposuction Revision
Correction of irregularity, asymmetry and over-suction after surgery performed elsewhere.
Read moreEnglish hotline · WhatsApp
+82-10-9848-0252
Foreigner-friendly clinic. The photo consultation is free - send photos and your travel dates, and a coordinator replies in English within one business day.
Open WhatsApp chatWhy patients choose us
Who does the best liposuction in Seoul?
It is a fair question, and no clinic can answer it about itself. So here are the twelve things we put in writing before surgery. Ask any clinic in Gangnam for the same list and compare.
1:1 director responsibility
The director who examines you operates on you and follows you up. One name, start to finish.
Planned for your body
We draw the plan on you while you stand. Nothing is copied from a template.
Balanced, not maximum
We remove the amount that keeps your shape even, not the amount that fills a jar.
Your stem cells are kept
We take the middle fat layer only, then put your own concentrated stem cells back.
Long cannula, hidden cuts
One small cut near the tailbone or inside the armpit covers a whole area.
Skin is part of the plan
If your skin is the real problem, we say so and plan a lift instead of overselling suction.
Anesthesia by a specialist
A full-time anesthesiology specialist watches every case from start to recovery.
A recovery you can schedule
Garment for three days, stitches out on day seven, two aftercare visits included.
Cuts placed out of sight
Incisions sit in the hip crease, near the tailbone, inside the armpit or behind the ear.
A plan you can read
Areas, operating time, aftercare and any extra charges are listed separately, in English.
Built for patients from abroad
Government license for treating overseas patients, with English, Chinese and Japanese support.
Photo review before you fly
Four standing photos are read by the operating surgeon, not by a salesperson.
Planned so you never need a second surgery
One in five body cases here is a repair of surgery done elsewhere.
Surgeons
Who will be my surgeon in Gangnam?
Two directors, one team, 63 years of practice between them. The director who examines you is the director who operates, with a full-time anesthesiology specialist in the room the whole time.
Jaeho Cho, MD, PhD
Co-Director, general surgery specialist
Thirty-one years in practice and more than 40,000 operations, including the 80,000+ liposuction cases recorded at TheLINE since 2007. He developed our stem cell method and the long cannula we use on every body case.
- Doctor of Medicine, Kyung Hee University
- Director, Cell Matrix Lab (stem cell research center)
- Board member, Korean Society of Liposuction
- Board member, Korean Society of Obesity and Aesthetics
- Listed in the IBC world biographical dictionary for liposuction
Yoosuk Chung, MD
Co-Director, plastic surgery specialist
Thirty-two years in aesthetic plastic surgery and more than 100,000 body and face cases. He leads body lift surgery for patients whose skin, not fat, is the real limit - after major weight loss or several pregnancies.
- Plastic surgery specialist, Kyung Hee University Medical Center
- Adjunct professor, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine
- Full member, Korean Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
- International liposuction training, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
- Invited speaker in Vietnam and at AFAS, on body and face surgery
The clinic
Where is the clinic, and what will I see when I arrive?
Our building sits on Garosu-gil in Gangnam, one exit from Sinsa station. Consultation is on the fourth floor, recovery care and the Cell Matrix Lab on the fifth, four operating rooms on the sixth. You are examined, operated on and followed up in the same place by the same team.
Firsts
What did this clinic do first in Korea?
We said the line matters more than the liters
When Korean clinics still sold liposuction by how much fat came out, TheLINE argued that the shape you live with is the point. The clinic is named after that idea.
We developed stem cell liposuction
Since 2007 we have suctioned in a way that keeps your stem cells and puts them back. In 2023 the Ministry of Science and ICT recognized our fifth-floor lab as a dedicated stem cell research department.
We teach the method to other surgeons
Our director sits on the board of the Korean Society of Liposuction. Surgeons from seven countries, China, Indonesia and Taiwan among them, have finished our liposuction course - watching live surgery in the same rooms where you would be treated.
Safety system
Is it safe to have surgery in a foreign country?
It is the fair question to ask, and the answer should be a system rather than a promise. Here is ours, in the order it protects you.
You go home the same day
No hospital stay and no drain to carry around. You walk out of the building on the day of surgery and sleep at your own hotel, which is only possible because of how we suction and what we put back.
Anesthesia by a specialist
A full-time anesthesiology specialist runs sedation and general anesthesia and stays in the room, monitoring you in real time. The operating surgeon is never splitting attention between two jobs.
JCI-accredited protocol
We follow the anesthesia and monitoring protocol from our JCI accreditation, with a code blue pathway that every member of the team is drilled on.
Blood on standby
An SD autologous transfusion system is available for larger-volume cases, so a transfusion never depends on how fast an outside supply arrives.
Three university hospitals
Transfer agreements with Gangnam Severance, Seoul St. Mary's and Kyung Hee University Hospital. Ask any clinic what their emergency plan is - it should be this specific.
Cleared before you are treated
Blood panel and ECG on arrival, reviewed the same day. If a result says wait, we reschedule instead of going ahead with a booked flight.
International patients
How does surgery in Korea work if I live abroad?
About a third of our surgeries are for patients from abroad, so the process is already built. The photo consultation happens before you fly, which is why you only need to come to the clinic twice: once for the pre-operative tests and once for surgery. Interpreting in English, Chinese and Japanese covers both visits and every check-up, and our coordinators handle hotels near Garosu-gil and the medical tax refund papers.
A single-area case fits inside one week in Seoul. You can usually fly home two to three days after surgery. A check-up before you fly is optional - some patients book one, others go straight to the airport and send photos instead. Come for the surgery, spend the rest of the week seeing the city, and fly home looking different. Revision cases are the exception and are planned separately after we review your previous surgery.
What is arranged for you
- English, Chinese and Japanese interpreting at every visit
- English hotline and WhatsApp, answered within one business day
- Hotels within walking distance of the clinic on Garosu-gil
- Medical tax refund paperwork handled by our coordinators
- Free photo consultation before you fly, with no obligation
- Twelve months of photo follow-up after you are home
Your Seoul schedule
Before you fly - Photo consultation by message. You get the plan and the quote before you book anything
Visit 1 - Pre-operative tests - blood work, ECG and the anesthesia review
Visit 2 - Surgery day. You walk out of the building the same day. No hospital stay
2-3 days later - Optional check-up before you fly. Most patients are cleared to travel from this point
Free photo consultation
Send four standing photos, the areas you want treated, your height and weight, and when you can travel. The operating surgeon reads them personally, at no charge.
Get the plan and quote
Areas, operating time, what is included and your recovery dates, in English, before you book a flight. Nothing is confirmed until you agree.
Two visits in Seoul
One visit for the pre-operative tests, one for surgery. You walk out the same day - there is no hospital stay.
Fly home
You can travel from two to three days after surgery. A check-up before you fly is optional, and photo follow-up continues for twelve months once you are home.
Google reviews
What do patients say on Google?
Every review below sits on the clinic's own Google listing, written in Korean by patients in Korea and translated here. Nothing is edited by us - open the listing and read them yourself.
★★★★★
I had been stressed about my thighs and arms for years and looked at several clinics before I found TheLINE. At the consultation the director explained everything against my own body shape, which is what won my trust, so I went ahead with thigh liposuction, arm liposuction and hip dip fat grafting.
★★★★★
I came in about my arm line and went ahead after the consultation. The consultation was thorough and the clinic was spotless, so I trusted them. One month in, the arm line is clearly cleaner, the swelling and bruising have gone down a lot, and daily life is barely affected.
★★★★★
One month after surgery. The volume felt large at first because of the swelling, but as it went down everything settled naturally. I bruised badly on the abdomen, and with the bruise cream and warm compresses it faded faster than I expected. The aftercare they include is genuinely useful.
★★★★★
One month after thigh liposuction with fat grafting to the breast. The inner thigh is clearly tidier, there is almost no scar, and the incision sits near the tailbone where nobody finds it.
★★★★★
I chose TheLINE because of the detailed reviews and their record on complications. No matter how much I exercised or lost weight my arm circumference stayed the same. Safety mattered most to me and they were very reassuring about it. From consultation to surgery I was completely satisfied.
★★★★★
I booked on the day of my first consultation and had an arm lift with liposuction. The line is visibly tidier. I had some inflammation so I go back for check-ups, and the director checks the area himself every time, so I never felt anxious. The aftercare staff are meticulous and there is never a wait.
Translated from Korean. Individual experiences; results differ from person to person.
FAQ
Is liposuction in Korea worth the trip?
Three reasons patients give us. It is one of the longest-running body contouring centers in Korea, with more than 80,000 liposuction cases recorded since 2007 and a director who has worked on fat and nothing else for 31 years. It is where other clinics send their revision cases when a result has gone wrong. And it is where stem cell liposuction was developed - we re-inject your own stem cells for faster recovery and fewer side effects, which is still unavailable in most countries.
One week is enough for a single area. The photo consultation happens before you fly, so you only visit the clinic twice: once for the pre-operative tests and once for surgery. You walk out of the building on the day of surgery and can usually fly home two to three days later. A check-up before you fly is optional. Revision cases need a separate consultation and a longer plan.
No. There is no hospital stay and no drain to carry around. You walk out of the building the same day and go back to your hotel. That is a direct result of the stem cell technique and the way we suction, not a shortcut.
We are in Gangnam, Seoul, on Garosu-gil, one exit from Sinsa station and a short walk from Apgujeong. To get a quote, send the procedure and areas you are considering, photos, your height and weight. Once you share your travel dates we secure your surgery slot and send you the hospital and surgeon details. Then you come to Seoul, enjoy the trip, and fly home looking your best.
The photo consultation is free and carries no obligation. Send the areas you are considering, photos, your age, height and weight. The operating surgeon reviews them personally and you receive a written plan in English with everything that is included and anything charged separately, listed line by line. Nothing is confirmed until you agree.
You can walk out on the day of surgery. Pain is usually 4 to 5 out of 10 and feels like heavy muscle soreness rather than a wound. About 70% of the swelling is gone within the first three weeks, and the stem cells are there to speed that up. Tightening and contour keep improving gradually for three to six months. The incisions are 4 to 6mm, placed in creases, and they fade naturally over time.
Yes. The fat cells we remove are gone for good and the body line is sculpted, not just reduced. If you gain weight later, the treated areas are affected much less than the rest of your body - which is why waiting simply postpones the benefit.
We suction the middle fat layer only, so the stem cell part of your own fat survives. It is separated in our lab in about 45 minutes and put back into the treated area before you leave the operating table. In our practice that means less bruising, a faster return to normal, and more of the fat surviving when we transfer it to the hips, breasts or face.
One of the two directors performs the whole operation, start to finish. Anesthesia is run by a full-time anesthesiology specialist who stays in the room. Surgery is never handed to a junior doctor.
Getting here
Where exactly is the clinic?
4F-6F, 65 Garosu-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Sinsa station exit 8 on Line 3, or a short walk from Apgujeong.
Follow the clinic
Where can I see more before I decide?
New cases, surgery explainers and clinic news go out on these channels. Google Maps is also where you can read what patients have written about us without us editing it.
Worth reading
What should I read before deciding?
The questions patients ask us most often before they book a flight, answered in full.
Is Liposuction in Korea Safe? What the Evidence Says
What the published complication rates actually are, how Korean clinics are regulated, and the questions worth asking any clinic before you book.
Read the articleHow to Choose a Liposuction Clinic in Seoul
Five questions that separate a careful clinic from a busy one, and what a good answer sounds like. Ask every clinic the same list and compare.
Read the articleHow Long Do You Need in Korea for Liposuction?
A realistic schedule for international patients - two clinic visits, one week in Seoul, and what actually determines when you can fly home.
Read the articleAppointment request
How do I book a consultation from abroad?
Tell us the areas you want contoured and your travel dates. We reply with a surgeon-reviewed plan, an itemized quote and the recovery schedule you should reserve in Seoul.
- Clinic
- TheLINE Plastic Surgery Clinic
- Address
- 4F-6F, 65 Garosu-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea
Sinsa Station exit 8 on Line 3, or a short walk from Apgujeong Station - English hotline
- +82-10-9848-0252 (WhatsApp)
- [email protected]
- LINE / WeChat
- thelinezx
- Hours
- Weekdays 09:30 - 18:30
Saturday 09:30 - 17:00
Closed Sundays and public holidays
