Breast augmentation in Korea? Results, recovery, cost (2026)

"How many cc should I get?"

"Would 300cc or 350cc look better on me?"

If you are planning breast augmentation in Korea, these are probably the questions on your mind. They are also the questions I hear most often in consultation. Many people arrive with a number already chosen from photos online, and they worry that picking the wrong one means an unnatural result they will have to live with far from home.

This post is for you if you are comparing clinics in Seoul and want to understand how a surgeon should plan your breasts before you book a flight.

By the end you will know:

• why the same implant volume looks different on two people
• what I measure before I choose an implant
• how implants are placed and which incision options exist
• what real results look like at 3 months, and what one patient said afterwards
• what recovery looks like week by week, how long to stay in Seoul and when to fly home
• what decides the cost, and what to ask any clinic before you commit

Who is writing this

I am Dr. Im Jung-woo, representative director of LAHYEON Plastic Surgery in Cheongdam, Seoul. I am a board-certified general surgeon. I trained at Samsung Medical Center (Sungkyunkwan University), where I also served as an adjunct professor of surgery. I moved into body surgery after that, and I am a member of the Korean Surgical Society, the Korean Society of Aesthetic Surgery and the Korean Academy of Obesity & Aesthetic Treatment. Today I focus on breast surgery, liposuction, fat grafting and body filler.

I see every patient myself, from the first consultation through surgery and follow-up. I wrote this because the "how many cc" question leads a lot of people in the wrong direction, and I would like you to arrive at any consultation, with me or anyone else, asking better questions. You can read more about my background on my doctor page.

Why does the same 350cc look different on each person?

People differ in height and weight. Shoulder width and chest width differ. So does the amount of breast tissue you already have, how far your skin stretches, the gap between your breasts, where the fold under your breast sits, and how different your left and right sides are.

Put the same 350cc implant into two of those bodies and you get two different breasts. That is why I find it hard to work from "I want a C cup, so I need X cc." Cup size depends on your band and your frame as much as on volume.

So in consultation I do not decide the cc first. I look at your body, and I ask what you would like to look like.

What should decide the implant size?

Before any number, I check:

• the width of your rib cage
• how much breast tissue you have now
• where the breast starts and where the lower fold is
• where the nipple sits
• how much the two sides differ

Then I step back and look at the whole frame, from the shoulders down to the waist and pelvis. The breasts are never seen apart from the rest of your body.

Volume only tells you size. Two implants with the same cc can have a different base width and projection. One is wider and sits lower, the other is narrower and comes further forward. If the implant is too wide or too narrow for your chest, the silhouette you want becomes hard to reach. So the question I ask is "what width, volume and shape connect naturally on this body?" The cc follows from that answer.

I also check you from three views: the front, 45 degrees and the side. From the front, the breasts should suit the width of your body. From the side, the line from the upper breast to the lower breast should not look forced. The inner and outer lines should sit in proportion with the rest of you.

Why does the fold under the breast matter so much?

One part of planning I have come to care about a great deal is the inframammary fold, or IMF. Put simply, it is the line where the lower breast meets the chest wall.

Where that fold sits changes the length of the lower breast, where the nipple ends up on the breast, and how the side profile reads. I plan it together with the distance from nipple to fold, your current shape, how much spare skin you have and the implant size.

A few millimeters, or 1cm, can sound like nothing. On a breast it changes the overall look. That is why I spend a long time on the design before surgery. I usually apologize to patients in advance for how long the marking takes.

How is the implant placed at LAHYEON Plastic Surgery?

Our breast augmentation program is called Silhouette Fit. It uses a 3D dual-plane technique. The implant spans two planes, with its upper part under the chest muscle, so it moves with the muscle and gives a natural line whether you stand or lie down. The design also takes into account any sagging and the proportion with your waist and pelvis.

There are three incision options:

• Armpit: no visible scar on the breast itself.
• Fold under the breast: allows precise positioning.
• Around the areola: the scar follows the edge of the areola.

We aim to keep incisions small and in less visible places, and to close them carefully to reduce scarring.

Placement can also be under the breast tissue, which tends to recover faster with less pain, or under the muscle fascia, for a natural feel and shape. Which one suits you depends on how much tissue you have and what you want.

Which implants do you use?

We use only genuine, approved implants. The type, width, height and volume are chosen after measuring your chest and body. Options include cohesive gel textured implants in round and teardrop shapes, microtextured implants for a natural feel and shape, and smooth implants.

Cohesive gel implants are made for long-term use, though this varies by person, and regular check-ups are recommended. If you have older saline implants, they can wear and change size after about 10 years, and replacing them is possible.

Implant, fat, or both?

I do not see implants and fat grafting as rivals. An implant builds the base volume. Fat can then soften the edges in a slim patient, smooth the upper breast or even out a small difference between sides. If you only want a modest change or fuller upper breasts, fat alone may be enough. I explain that option in a separate post on fat transfer in Korea.

Will my breasts look like this forever? Early shape is not the final shape

This is the part I most want travelling patients to understand before they go home.

Right after surgery the breasts often sit high, with a very full upper part. With dual-plane placement the chest muscle is tight at first and holds the upper implant up. As swelling settles, the muscle and soft tissue relax and the skin adapts. The implant settles into its pocket, and the shape keeps changing over time.

So please do not judge the result from the mirror in your hotel room in the first week.

What do real results look like?

These are two of our patients, photographed from the side before surgery and 3 months after, and shared with their consent.

At 3 months the implant is still settling, so even these are not the final shape. More cases are on our before and after page.

One patient wrote this on Google after her surgery:

"I had breast surgery with the representative director, and he's so skilled I wanted to leave a review. I really like the result. I'm going in every week for aftercare these days."

Google review, 2026-06-13 (translated from Korean)

Planning your trip to Seoul

The consultation

The consultation is with me. We talk first about what you would like to look like, then I assess chest width, tissue, skin and fold position, choose an implant by width, projection and volume, and mark the design, including the fold. If you send photos before you travel, we can discuss the general direction in advance, but the final implant choice is made after I see you in person.

Recovery timeline

We use a low-pain approach and an aftercare program for swelling and scars.

How long should you stay in Korea?

There is no single number I can give before I see you. It depends on the incision, the placement and how your early recovery goes. We set your schedule at consultation, including when your check-ups fall, so you can plan your flights around them. Please book your return flexibly if you can.

Flying home

Confirm with us that your check-ups are done before you fly. Bring the instructions we give you, and keep the first weeks after you land light: the first 2 to 3 weeks are for light daily activities only, wherever you are.

Aftercare at home

Back home, follow the activity limits above and keep regular check-ups with your implants in mind. Watch for heat, swelling or unusual tiredness, which can be signs of inflammation. We check for this early and treat it promptly while you are in Seoul, and if it appears after you return, contact us and see a local doctor.

What does breast augmentation in Korea cost?

I am not going to quote a figure here, because the price is decided by the plan. The main factors are:

• the implant type you and I choose
• the incision and placement method
• whether fat grafting is added
• whether old implants are being removed or replaced

You receive a quote together with your plan, so you know what it covers before you decide.

Questions to ask any clinic

• Who will do my consultation and my surgery, and will I see the same doctor at follow-up?
• How will you choose implant width and projection, not just cc?
• Where will you set the fold under my breast, and why?
• Which incision do you suggest for me, and where will the scar be?
• Which implants do you use, and are they genuine and approved?
• What happens if I have a problem after I fly home?