Executive Summary
Customized & Natural Beauty
Dareum Plastic Surgery rejects 'factory-type' approaches, focusing on individual characteristics for natural, harmonious results.
Highly Experienced Director
Dr. Song Jin-woo, board-certified plastic surgeon with university hospital and large clinic experience, specializing in rhinoplasty & revision.
Collaborative Expertise
Operates under a two-director system: Dr. Song Jin-woo (Nose, Facial Contouring) and Dr. Moon Yu-jin (Eyes, Anti-aging).
Robust Safety System
Ensures patient trust with real-name medical treatment (no shadow doctors), operating room CCTVs, and a resident anesthesiologist.
Hospital Overview & Philosophy
Basic Hospital Information
Dareum Plastic Surgery is located on the 10th floor of the IS Tower on Teheran-ro, between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station in Seoul, the center of Korean plastic surgery. It is understood to have opened around 2018 and takes the form of a small-to-medium-sized clinic providing patient-centric care rather than a large-scale hospital.
Medical Philosophy & Brand Identity
The hospital name 'Dareum' implies the meaning of "finding my own unique beauty that is different from others" and the medical team's will to create "1% difference in detail." This suggests that they reject uniform plastic surgery (the so-called 'Gangnam Beauty' style), which is pointed out as a chronic problem in the Korean plastic surgery market, and pursue results that harmonize with the patient's original facial features.
In-depth Analysis of Medical Staff
Representative Director Dr. Song Jin-woo
Dr. Song Jin-woo is the founder and representative director of Dareum Plastic Surgery, mainly in charge of rhinoplasty and facial contouring (fat grafting, etc.). His core competitiveness lies in his rich clinical experience, having served as a university hospital professor and director of large plastic surgery clinics.
Education & Major Career
- Expertise: Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.
- University Hospital Experience: Clinical Instructor in Plastic Surgery at Asan Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at Inje University Paik Hospital, Outpatient Professor of Plastic Surgery at Soonchunhyang University Hospital.
- Private Practice Experience: Director at 'View Plastic Surgery' and 'April 31 Plastic Surgery'.
Academic Activities & Research Achievements
- Society Memberships: Regular member of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, the Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, ISPRS, and the Korean Academic Association of Rhinoplasty Surgeons.
- Major Papers & Books:
- *Effective Septal Extension Graft for Asian Rhinoplasty (2014)*
- *Tip Extension Suture (2014)*
- *Scar Revision (2012)* (co-author)
- Numerous papers in reconstructive plastic surgery.
Representative Director Dr. Moon Yu-jin
Dr. Moon Yu-jin is in charge of eye surgery and anti-aging surgery, forming the two pillars of the hospital together with Dr. Song Jin-woo.
Career
- Outpatient Professor at Soonchunhyang University Hospital.
- Director at Apgujeong Seoul Plastic Surgery.
- Director at Jewelry Plastic Surgery.
Specialties
- Eye surgery (double eyelid, canthoplasty, ptosis correction).
- Revision eye surgery.
- Under-eye fat repositioning.
- Anti-aging surgery.
Major Medical Subjects & Procedure Features
Specialized Field: Rhinoplasty
This is Dr. Song Jin-woo's main field, and a significant number of patients visiting Dareum Plastic Surgery are rhinoplasty and revision surgery patients. Dareum Plastic Surgery adopts a 'selection and concentration' strategy focusing on nose and eye surgeries and related revision surgeries.
No-Implant Rhinoplasty
A surgical method that aligns with the recent plastic surgery trends of 'naturalness' and 'safety'.
- Concept: Shapes nasal bridge and tip using only autologous tissues (septal cartilage, ear cartilage, autologous dermis, rib cartilage) without artificial implants.
- Advantages: Minimizes risk of side effects (inflammation, contracture, implant visibility), creates natural lines.
- Target: Recommended for patients with a relatively high nasal bridge/hump or a strong aversion to implants.
High-Difficulty Revision Rhinoplasty
Shows high reliability in solving problems such as contracted noses, warped implants, and inflammation from previous surgical failures. Dr. Song Jin-woo's extensive thesis performance (septal extension, scar plastic surgery, etc.) serves as the theoretical and technical background necessary to restore damaged tissues and reconstruct a structurally stable nose.
Blepharoplasty (Eye Surgery)
The eye surgery led by Dr. Moon Yu-jin focuses on 'natural adhesion' and 'under-eye fat repositioning' as key keywords.
Natural Adhesion Double Eyelid
A surgical method that minimizes artificial incision scars and induces natural adhesion between tissues to create double eyelids that look like one's own.
Under-Eye Fat Repositioning
It targets not only the middle-aged but also young people worried about dark circles, focusing on improving the tired-looking impression.
Hospital Operation System & Safety
Safety System
- Operating Room CCTV: CCTVs are installed in the operating room to resolve anxiety about substitute surgery (shadow doctors). This is one of the very important criteria for patients choosing a hospital in the recent Korean medical community.
- Resident Anesthesiologist: An anesthesiology and pain medicine specialist resides to prepare for emergencies that may occur during surgery and monitor the patient's vital signs.
- Real-Name Medical Treatment: A system is operated where the director who consulted is in charge of everything from surgery to progress checks.
Consultation & Aftercare
- Consultation Process: It is known that the operating surgeon directly conducts consultations for a long time, rather than relying on consultation managers. A characteristic feature is accurately identifying the patient's needs and clearly explaining the limitations of the surgery.
- Aftercare: Systematic aftercare programs such as swelling laser and scar management are provided, and channels like KakaoTalk are open to communicate with medical staff or the hospital regarding questions after surgery.
Reputation & Patient Reaction Analysis
The reputation analyzed by synthesizing data from various plastic surgery information platforms (Gangnam Unni, Sungyesa, Babitalk, etc.) and communities is as follows.
Positive Evaluations (Pros)
- Natural Results: Reviews saying "I became prettier without it being obvious that I had surgery" are dominant. Satisfaction is high among patients who value facial harmony over excessively high or flashy noses.
- Honesty of Medical Staff: Many evaluations state they do not recommend unnecessary surgeries and speak honestly about realistic achievable results. Dr. Song Jin-woo's consultation is often praised as professional and meticulous.
- Trust in Safety: The availability of CCTV footage and the presence of a resident anesthesiologist give patients a great sense of psychological stability.
Negative/Mixed Evaluations (Cons & Mixed Reviews)
- Conservative Style: For patients desiring flashy and dramatic changes (more than the 'Jaryeohan' style), results might feel somewhat plain or lack significant change. Comments like "It's so natural that no one knows I had surgery" can be a cause for dissatisfaction.
- Waiting Time: It is pointed out that even with a reservation, waiting times can be long due to meticulous consultations.
- Cost: There is a perception that surgery costs are set somewhat high compared to factory-type hospitals that overuse low-price events, but this is generally accepted as a cost for customized surgery and safety.
Ratings by Platform
- Gangnam Unni: 9.5/10 (Over 450 reviews) - Shows very high satisfaction, receiving high scores particularly in kindness of consultation and naturalness of results.
- Sungyesa: 4.2/5.0 - Maintains a decent rating despite the critical nature of plastic surgery communities.
Conclusion & Comprehensive Analysis
Dareum Plastic Surgery can be defined as a medical institution pursuing "faithful to the basics, safe and natural plastic surgery." Representative Director Dr. Song Jin-woo is solidifying his position, especially in no-implant rhinoplasty and revision surgery, based on academic knowledge and clinical experience accumulated through university hospitals and large plastic surgery clinics.
Suitable Patient Group 1
Patients who prioritize safe surgery without worrying about side effects.
Suitable Patient Group 2
Patients who dislike artificial feelings and want natural improvements.
Suitable Patient Group 3
Revision surgery patients requiring structural reconstruction due to previous surgical failures.
Suitable Patient Group 4
Patients who want to decide the direction of surgery through sufficient consultation with the operating surgeon.
On the other hand, the hospital's direction may not fit patients who want flashy and noticeable changes like celebrities or want quick surgery at a low cost. In conclusion, Dareum Plastic Surgery is evaluated as one of the hospitals representing the trend of valuing 'qualitative growth' and 'patient safety' in the mature stage of the Korean plastic surgery market.