Apgujeong Be&Me Clinic · Lee Jung-min Analysis Report

Key Findings

Hybrid Beauty Model

Pioneering integration of plastic surgery, dermatology, and semi-permanent makeup for unique market competitiveness.

Director Lee's Expertise

Specialized in breast and cosmetic surgery; emphasizes medical safety in semi-permanent makeup.

High Public Recognition

Known for 'dimple surgery' and 'semi-permanent eyebrows' with mixed feedback on service.

Safety Controversies

Despite 'accident-free' marketing, media reports raise questions on medical safety and patient outcomes.

Director's Profile

Lee Jung-min

As the Representative Director of Apgujeong Be&Me Clinic, Dr. Lee Jung-min oversees the general operation of the hospital and performs major surgeries. His background is summarized by the combination of surgical expertise and aesthetic medicine.

Major Career

Representative Director, Apgujeong Be&Me Clinic
Sub-specialist, Breast Center, National Cancer Center (NCC)
Outpatient Professor, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital
Harvest Jet II Breast Fat Graft Key Doctor

Academic Activities

Regular Member, Korean Society of Aesthetic Surgery (KSAS)
Lifetime Member, Korean Academy of Aesthetic Surgery & Medicine (KAAS)
Regular Member, Korean Academy of Obesity & Aesthetic Treatment
Regular Member, Korean Breast Cancer Society
Analysis: Presumed to have entered the beauty field as a specialist from another department (e.g., General Surgery) rather than a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon.

Academic and Research Activities

Director Lee Jung-min participates in academic research beyond simple clinical practice. In 2024, he participated in an observational study verifying the long-term safety of LG Chem's hyaluronic acid filler 'Y-Solution' in cooperation with Chung-Ang University Hospital's dermatology research team. This study was published in an SCI-level international journal, interpreted as an effort to contribute to data accumulation in the clinical field and proof of safety.

Other Medical Staff

Director Kim Tae-young: A director at Apgujeong Be&Me Clinic, active as a Regular Member of the Korean Society of Aesthetic Surgery and an appointed instructor for Dual Line Lifting.

Clinic Overview

Basic Information and History

Apgujeong Be&Me Clinic is located near Apgujeong Rodeo Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and is a medical institution that integrates plastic surgery, dermatology, and a semi-permanent makeup center.

Establishment: It is understood to have been established around 2007 (based on job postings), and the Semi-permanent Center promotes a history dating back to 1996 with the introduction of the European Contour Makeup System.
Location: 2nd Floor, Rodeo Star Building B, 5-10 Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Scale: Classified as a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME), with approximately 30 employees.

Clinical Philosophy & Brand Identity

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Be&Me is interpreted as a combination of 'Beauty' and 'Me', and its core value is to provide "confidence where even the bare face is beautiful" through not only plastic surgery but also semi-permanent makeup.

It particularly advocates 'Medical Semi-permanent Makeup' directly inspected and designed by medical staff, emphasizing differentiation from illegal parlors.

Operation System

Office Hours: It operates night clinics on weekdays (until 9 PM on Tue, Thu, Fri) to improve accessibility for office workers, and also runs Saturday clinics.
Global Response: It operates multilingual websites in Chinese, Japanese, etc., and is active in attracting foreign patients.

Key Procedures

Medical Semi-permanent Makeup

This is the clinic's biggest differentiation point and a sector that accounts for a significant portion of revenue.

Eyebrow Semi-permanent: Uses various techniques such as Embo, Gradation, and Combo, emphasizing a 1:1 design tailored to the individual's face shape and skeletal structure. Uses 'highest number of procedures in Korea' as a marketing point.
Other Areas: Performs eyeliner, lips (tint lips), hairline, and scalp micropigmentation (SMP).
Features: Emphasizes hygiene and safety by using natural pigments and disposable needles, and absorbs the demand for correction (re-procedure) of incorrect tattoos in conjunction with laser tattoo removal procedures.

Plastic Surgery & Petit Procedures

Apgujeong Be&Me Clinic operates the plastic surgery area and the semi-permanent makeup area distinctly yet complementarily.

Dimple Surgery: Analysis of review data reveals high demand and satisfaction for dimple surgery, to the extent of being nicknamed a "Dimple Restaurant". Quick dimple procedures using threads without incisions are predominant.
Eye Surgery: Mainly performs non-incisional eye surgeries such as the burial method, natural adhesion, and canthoplasty.
Breast Surgery: Shows strength in autologous fat breast surgery using Harvest Jet based on Director Lee Jung-min's career at the Breast Center.
Lifting & Anti-aging: Offers non-surgical anti-aging procedures such as thread lifting, Ulthera, and Titanium lifting.

Pricing Policy and Marketing

Event-Centric: Conducts aggressive price discount events through medical beauty platforms such as Gangnam Unni and Yeoshin Ticket. For example, they promote price competitiveness with eyebrow semi-permanent makeup in the 90,000 KRW range and dimple surgery in the 100,000 KRW range.
Package Products: Uses a strategy to increase the average transaction value per customer through package products combining semi-permanent makeup and petit procedures (Botox, etc.).

Reputation Analysis

Positive Evaluations

Satisfaction with Results: There are numerous reviews stating "It looks natural" and "I like the design," especially for dimple surgery and semi-permanent eyebrow procedures.
Accessibility and Facilities: There are positive evaluations regarding the convenient location near Apgujeong Rodeo Station and the pleasant waiting area.
Cost-effectiveness: The ability to receive procedures at a reasonable price compared to other clinics in the Gangnam area when applying event prices is cited as an advantage.

Negative Evaluations & Complaints

Wait Times and Factory-style System: Complaints about long waiting times even after making a reservation are constantly raised due to accommodating a large number of patients. There are typical complaints of a 'factory-style hospital' where the proportion of consultation with the counseling manager is high and the face-to-face time with the doctor is short.
Staff Response: Reviews regarding staff are mixed, with some saying they are kind and others saying they are unkind or mechanical.
Corporate Reviews (Employee Perspective): The JobPlanet rating is 2.8, with internal employee evaluations stating "Lack of system" and "High work intensity," suggesting the possibility of frequent staff turnover.

Conclusion

Comprehensive Analysis

Apgujeong Be&Me Clinic is a hospital that has grown by leading the **'institutional medicalization of semi-permanent makeup.'** Representative Director Lee Jung-min expanded the scope of aesthetic procedures by utilizing his background as a surgeon, and established unique brand power, especially in the fields of dimple surgery and semi-permanent makeup.

Key Takeaways

Leading 'Medical Semi-Permanent' Model: The clinic has successfully pioneered and institutionalized medical semi-permanent makeup.
Urgent Trust Restoration: Transparent clarification regarding raised safety issues and a definite recurrence prevention system are crucial.
Patient Vigilance Advised: Potential patients should carefully assess risks, especially for high-difficulty surgeries, given the existing controversies.

SWOT Analysis Summary

Strengths: Unique positioning combining semi-permanent makeup and plastic surgery, high brand awareness, price competitiveness, expertise in specific procedures (dimples, eyebrows).

Weaknesses: Deterioration of customer experience due to factory-style system (wait times, etc.), low internal employee satisfaction.

Opportunities: Increase in foreign patient inflow after the endemic, expansion of the men's beauty market (Men's eyebrows, etc.).

Threats: **Controversies and media reports related to serious medical accidents (death, necrosis).** This can be a fatal risk factor for medical consumers who value 'safety'.