Analysis Report

Plus Minus Korean Medicine Clinic

In-depth Analysis of Representative Director Kim Jang-seon

Korean Medicine Diet Facial Correction Aesthetic Hanbang

Key Summary

Institution Overview

Plus Minus Korean Medicine Clinic in Seocho-gu, Seoul, specializes in Korean medicine diet, facial asymmetry correction, and Korean medicine plastic surgery (thread embedding). Its brand philosophy is 'Adding health (Plus) and subtracting excess fat and waste (Minus)'.

Representative Director

Representative Director Kim Jang-seon, a Kyung Hee University graduate, previously led '3-Kwae Kyung Hee' and 'Kyung Hee Do-Dream'. He is a cosmetic Korean medicine expert, serving as President of the Society of Korean Medicine Natural Plastic Surgery.

Major Procedures

Key procedures include the diet herbal medicine series 'Haenggamtang', 'Haenggamhwan', 'Haenggam Capsule', facial asymmetry correction, and thread lifting. Diet programs are segmented to improve constitution and boost metabolic rate.

Reputation & Characteristics

High ratings on beauty apps (Gangnam Unni, Yeoshin Ticket) and winner of the 2025 Consumer Chosen Best Brand Award indicate strong external awareness. However, corporate review sites (Job Planet) show negative evaluations regarding internal organizational culture.

Representative Director Kim Jang-seon

Education & Background

  • Kyung Hee University, College of Korean Medicine: Graduate, Master's, Doctoral course.
  • Undergraduate Activities: President of Nokwonhoe, General Affairs Manager of Herbology Society.

Major Career & Activities

  • Early Career: Served as the Head of the Korean Medicine Treatment Department at Yeongju City Health Center.
  • Representative Director:
    - 3-Kwae Kyung Hee Korean Medicine Clinic (Hongseong, Chungnam, etc.).
    - Co-Representative Director at Kyung Hee Do-Dream Korean Medicine Clinic (Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul).
  • Current: Representative Director of Plus Minus Korean Medicine Clinic, focusing on Korean medicine diet and plastic surgery.

Academic Activities & Expertise

  • Society Activities: President of the Society of Korean Medicine Natural Plastic Surgery.
  • Memberships: Structural Medicine Research Society, Association of Korean Medicine Sports, Society of Korean Medicine Arthritis & Rehabilitation, Society of Korean Medicine Functional Nutrition, Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute.
  • Research Fields: Sasang Constitution, efficacy of medicinal herbs (Guava leaf extract, etc.), and heart rate variability.

Hospital Information

Location & Overview

  • Address: Room 302, Woojin Building, 306 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul (Jamwon-dong).
  • Accessibility: Near Express Bus Terminal Station (Seoul Subway Lines 3, 7, and 9), offering excellent nationwide accessibility.
  • History: Opened around 2014, with over 12 years of business history, primarily focusing on diet and body shape management.

Operation Status (As of October 1, 2025)

  • Mon, Wed, Fri: 10:30 ~ 20:00
  • Tue, Thu: 10:30 ~ 19:00
  • Sat, Sun, Holidays: Closed
  • Specialized treatment for facial asymmetry is operated on Thursday afternoons.

Medical Philosophy & Brand Meaning

The hospital name 'Plus Minus' symbolizes a dual approach for the patient's health and beauty.

  • Plus: Means adding health, immunity, beauty, confidence, etc.
  • Minus: Contains the meaning of removing body fat, waste, pain, complexes, etc.

This philosophy connects with the medical goal of pursuing sustainable health beyond simply losing weight. It has been recognized for its brand value by winning the 'Consumer Chosen Best Brand Award' organized by Forbes Korea in 2025.

Major Treatment Programs & Procedures

1. Korean Medicine Diet Program

The diet program adopts a strategy to maximize patient convenience and effectiveness through the diversification of formulations and step-by-step prescriptions.

  • Haenggamtang (Liquid Form): A liquid medicine form allowing personalized prescription. It functions to increase metabolic rate to help break down body fat and suppress appetite. It aims for 'obesity constitution improvement'.
  • Haenggamhwan (Pill Form): A pill-type preparation that improves upon the bitter taste and inconvenience of portability of liquid medicine. It uses a high-concentration freeze-drying method to maintain medicinal efficacy while increasing convenience of intake. It claims effects such as appetite suppression, satiety formation, and edema relief.
  • Haenggam Capsule: A preparation developed in capsule form for patients sensitive to the smell or taste of herbal medicine.
  • Habitang: A liquid medicine specialized for lower body obesity (Habi), appearing to focus on improving lower body circulation and relieving edema.
  • Wild Ginseng Obesity Pharmacopuncture: A pharmacopuncture procedure formulated with ingredients such as wild ginseng, musk, and bear gallbladder to help break down fat in local areas.

2. Korean Medicine Plastic Surgery and Facial Correction

It emphasizes non-surgical therapies that improve facial contours using acupuncture and thread embedding (melting threads) without surgery.

  • Thread Lifting: Melting threads (PDO, etc.) are inserted into the dermal or muscular layers of the skin to induce lifting effects and collagen production. It offers site-specific specialized procedures under names such as 'Nasolabial Eraser Thread' and 'Real V-Line Thread'.
  • Facial Asymmetry Correction: Treatment that corrects facial asymmetry by realigning the balance of the temporomandibular joint and cervical vertebrae. It focuses on solving structural problems rather than just cosmetic purposes.
  • Other Procedures: Operates forehead volume, nose plastic surgery (Korean medicine), female hair loss treatment, and post-surgery swelling management programs.

Reputation & Market Reaction

Positive Evaluation (Patient and Consumer Centered)

  • High Accessibility & Awareness: It holds high ratings (e.g., 9.0/10) and hundreds of reviews on major beauty medical platforms such as Gangnam Unni and Yeoshin Ticket, indicating high public awareness.
  • Diet Effect: Numerous reviews report successful weight loss cases after taking Haenggamhwan and Haenggamtang. Satisfaction with appetite suppression effects and convenience of intake (pill/capsule) is high.
  • Systematic Branding: The intuitive naming 'Haenggam (Happy Weight Loss)' and the diverse formulation lineup act as elements that clearly convey the brand identity to consumers.
  • External Awards & Certification: By winning the grand prize at the '2025 Consumer Chosen Best Brand Award' organized by Forbes Korea, it proved its brand power in the field of diet and body shape management.

Negative Evaluation & Concerns

  • Dissatisfaction with Treatment System: Some patients expressed regret over consultation proceeded mainly by consultation managers, short treatment times with doctors, and mechanical treatment attitudes. This aligns with criticism of the 'factory-type' system often seen in large-scale beauty hospitals.
  • Side Effects & Refund Disputes: There are cases complaining of typical sympathetic hyperactivity symptoms such as hand tremors, insomnia, and palpitations after taking diet herbal medicine, and some conflict cases exist in the refund process resulting from this.
  • Internal Employee Satisfaction: The rating on the corporate review site Job Planet is very low at 1.5 points (out of 5). Former and current employees left critical opinions regarding lack of system, excessive work intensity, and incentive-centered operation methods.

Comprehensive Analysis & Conclusion

“ Plus Minus Korean Medicine Clinic is a case of successfully commercializing traditional Korean medicine treatments to fit modern beauty and diet trends under the leadership of Representative Director Kim Jang-seon.

1. Expertise

Director Kim Jang-seon secures expertise in the cosmetic Korean medicine field based on clinical experience, serving as the President of the Society of Korean Medicine Natural Plastic Surgery.

2. Marketability

The diet program represented by the 'Haenggam' series identifies consumer needs (convenience, effectiveness) accurately, showing a high market share.

3. Operational Risk

Unlike high external awareness, low internal employee satisfaction and the existence of consumer complaints about some 'factory-type' treatments are judged to be areas needing improvement for long-term brand reliability management.

In conclusion, Plus Minus Korean Medicine Clinic can be defined as a "modern and popularized Korean medicine beauty/diet medical institution." While it is an attractive option for patients in terms of accessibility and program diversity, thorough prior consultation and verification are recommended in terms of the depth of personalized treatment or follow-up management. “

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