About ARTNER
Cheongdam.

Dr. Hye-woo Pyeon, Internal Medicine Specialist.

Dr. Hye-woo Pyeon (편혜우) directs ARTNER Clinic Cheongdam Branch and personally performs all liposuction procedures. Her dual training in Internal Medicine and aesthetic medicine — uncommon in purely cosmetic clinics — anchors ARTNER's medical-grade approach to liposuction.

Why Internal Medicine matters for liposuction

Liposuction is fundamentally a medical procedure. Beyond the aesthetic outcome, it has cardiovascular, metabolic, and endocrine implications — particularly for foreign patients who may have undisclosed or undertreated medical conditions, for procedures involving larger volumes (360 liposuction, HD Liposculpture), and for older patients (50+) where comprehensive medical screening becomes critical for safety.

Dr. Pyeon's Internal Medicine training enables: (1) comprehensive pre-operative screening covering cardiac, pulmonary, renal, hepatic, metabolic, and endocrine domains; (2) recognition of medical conditions affecting liposuction candidacy (untreated thyroid disease, diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders, hormonal imbalances); (3) management of complications during longer procedures (cardiovascular monitoring during 360 cases); (4) holistic patient care that addresses underlying causes of fat distribution patterns alongside surgical solutions.

Many purely cosmetic clinics skip thorough medical evaluation in favor of efficiency. ARTNER does not. This is reflected in our pre-op screening protocols, our willingness to decline candidates whose underlying medical conditions warrant treatment first, and our 6-month post-operative follow-up that monitors metabolic and cardiovascular adaptation alongside aesthetic outcome.

Credentials and memberships

Five principles that guide our practice.

ARTNER's approach to liposuction is articulated through five principles that distinguish us from purely cosmetic clinics. These are not marketing claims — they are operational practices reflected in how we screen patients, recommend techniques, perform procedures, and follow up post-operatively.

ARTNER Cheongdam Branch infrastructure.

ARTNER Clinic Cheongdam Branch occupies the 2nd and 3rd floors of 38 Apgujeong-ro 80-gil — a contemporary mixed-use building at the heart of Cheongdam-dong, Seoul's premier plastic surgery district. The clinic was founded in 2024 with foreign patient services as a core operational focus.

Facility components

• Surgical suites — fully equipped operating rooms with all 14 ARTNER liposuction technologies (Tumescent, VASER, Water-Jet, Laser, 360, Power-Assisted, HD Liposculpture, Awake, J-Plasma, BodyTite, Revision, Tickle, Mini, Fat Grafting). KFDA-approved equipment from leading manufacturers (Solta Medical, Human Med, InMode, Apyx Medical, MicroAire).
• Consultation rooms — private, comfortable spaces for in-person consultation with Dr. Pyeon and coordinator. Translation infrastructure available for English/Chinese/Japanese.
• Recovery suites — private rooms for immediate post-procedure recovery. Same-day discharge for awake/mini procedures; brief observation for sedated cases.
• Photography studio — standardized lighting, distance, and posture protocols for before-and-after documentation per Korean Medical Service Act compliance.
• Lymphatic drainage room — dedicated space for post-op massage therapy, available for foreign patients during Seoul recovery.

Why Cheongdam-dong

Cheongdam-dong is Seoul's premier plastic surgery district, with hundreds of clinics concentrated within walking distance. The geographic concentration produces three benefits for foreign patients: (1) accommodation infrastructure built around medical tourism (recommended hotels Park Hyatt Seoul, Imperial Palace, Glad Gangnam all within walking distance); (2) recovery-friendly neighborhood (cafes, pharmacies, convenience stores for post-op essentials); (3) competitive market driving quality (clinics that don't deliver excellent results don't survive in this concentration).

Specialty scope.

ARTNER focuses exclusively on body and facial liposuction procedures. We do not perform face lifts, breast implants, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, or other plastic surgery. The specialty focus enables higher procedure volume per technique, full equipment range under one roof, and deep expertise in liposuction-specific challenges.

Korean medical regulation.

ARTNER Clinic Cheongdam Branch operates under one of the world's most rigorous medical regulatory frameworks. Korean medical regulation directly affects the experience and safety profile of medical tourism patients.

Regulatory framework

• Korean Medical Service Act (의료법) — primary medical practice regulation. Defines licensing, facility standards, advertising restrictions, patient consent requirements, and medical record retention.
• Personal Information Protection Act (개인정보보호법) — equivalent to GDPR in scope. Patient data, photos, and medical records protected; explicit written consent required for any non-clinical use including medical advertising.
• Korean Medical Advertising Review (의료광고심의) — government pre-review of all medical advertising materials. Before-and-after photos, before/after claims, procedure descriptions all subject to review for accuracy and ethics.
• Korea Tourism Organization Medical Tourism Registration — foreign patient services registered and audited; enables 10% VAT refund for cosmetic procedures by qualified foreign patients.
• KFDA equipment approval — all medical devices used must be Korean Food and Drug Administration approved. ARTNER uses only KFDA-approved equipment from established manufacturers.

What this means for foreign patients

Korean regulation affects foreign patients in three ways: (1) Safety — facility, equipment, and procedure standards are rigorously enforced; (2) Honesty — advertising and before-and-after claims are pre-reviewed for accuracy; (3) Privacy — Korean Personal Information Protection Act provides strong patient privacy that exceeds most countries' standards.

Related information.