Cheongdam and Apgujeong sit at the upper end of Seoul’s aesthetic clinic market. Clinics here concentrate on lifting devices and skin quality rather than volume discounting, most do not publish prices, and consultations tend to be longer than in the Gangnam Station area. This guide explains what the district is actually like, what to expect on price and language, and which clinics along its main roads are worth knowing about.
What this district is known for
Cheongdam-dong and Apgujeong-dong sit next to each other in the north of Gangnam-gu, separated by little more than a few blocks. Between them run three roads that carry most of the area’s clinics: Dosan-daero, Apgujeong-ro and Samseong-ro.
The area’s reputation is built on two things. It is where a large share of Korea’s flagship clinics chose to open, and it is where the domestic clientele skews older and more repeat-visit than in the student-heavy districts. That shapes what clinics stock and how they sell: more energy-based lifting devices, more long-term skin programmes, fewer one-off promotional packages.
For a visitor, the practical consequence is that you are more likely to be offered a plan than a price list.
How it differs from the Gangnam Station area
Visitors often treat “Gangnam” as one place. In practice the two main clusters behave differently, and which one suits you depends on what you are after.
| Cheongdam & Apgujeong | Gangnam Station area | |
|---|---|---|
| Main roads | Dosan-daero, Apgujeong-ro, Samseong-ro | Teheran-ro, Gangnam-daero |
| Typical focus | Lifting devices, skin programmes | Broad menus, high throughput |
| Published prices | Uncommon | More common |
| Opening hours | Usually close by 19:00–20:00 | Often later, some past 20:30 |
| Getting there | Apgujeong Rodeo, Cheongdam, Apgujeong stations | Gangnam, Yeoksam stations |
Neither is better. If you are working around a fixed schedule and want to compare quotes before you arrive, the Gangnam Station cluster is easier. If you want a longer consultation and are less price-driven, Cheongdam is the more natural fit.
What treatments the area concentrates on
Walk the clinic listings along Dosan-daero and the same device names recur: Ultherapy and its newer Ultherapy Prime version, Thermage FLX, Shurink, and increasingly ONDA. These are all energy-based devices that aim at lifting or tightening without surgery, and they differ in the energy they use and the depth they reach.
| Device | Energy | Usually aimed at |
|---|---|---|
| Ultherapy / Ultherapy Prime | Focused ultrasound | Lifting the face and neck |
| Thermage FLX | Radiofrequency | Skin tightening across the dermis |
| Shurink | Focused ultrasound (Korean device) | Lifting, often at a lower price point |
| ONDA | Microwave | Localised fat and cellulite |
Alongside these, most clinics in the district run injectable and skin-quality menus — boosters, collagen stimulators, pigmentation lasers. A consultation here will often propose a combination rather than a single device. Whether that is right for you is a clinical judgement we are not qualified to make — but it does make price comparison harder, so ask for the elements priced separately.
What to expect on price
Most clinics in Cheongdam do not publish prices online, and the ones that do usually list a starting figure rather than a full menu. That is not evasiveness so much as a consequence of how these treatments are sold: cost depends on shot count, energy dose and how many areas are treated, so a single number rarely means much.
What you can do is standardise the question. Ask every clinic for the same four things and you will be able to compare properly:
- The dose included — shot count for ultrasound devices, energy in kilojoules for ONDA
- Whether the figure is per session or for a course
- Whether VAT is included and whether consultation is charged separately
- Who performs the treatment — a doctor, or a nurse or therapist under supervision
A clinic that answers all four in writing is easier to plan around than one quoting a headline discount.
Getting around the district
Three subway stations serve the area, and which one you want depends on the road your clinic sits on.
- Apgujeong Rodeo (Suin-Bundang Line) — closest to the Dosan-daero stretch
- Cheongdam (Line 7) — for the eastern end and Samseong-ro
- Apgujeong (Line 3) — for Apgujeong-ro
Taxis are straightforward here and the roads are wide, but traffic on Dosan-daero is heavy in the early evening. If you have a same-day second appointment, allow more time than the map suggests.
How we chose the clinics below
This is not a ranking, and it is not a complete list — the district has far more clinics than any guide could cover. We looked for places that publish their address, hours and treatment list openly, sit within a short walk of a subway station, and offer some way for a visitor to make contact before arriving. Everything below comes from each clinic’s own website, or from information the clinic provided, and can change. Confirm directly before booking.
Cheongdam Ice Dermatology — Samseong-ro
Samseong-ro 726, Gyeongwon Building 2F. A one-minute walk from Cheongdam Station Exit 9, which makes it one of the easier clinics in the district to reach without a taxi.
It is a dermatology clinic with a lifting-heavy device list — Ultherapy Prime, Thermage FLX, Shurink, Doublo and Davinci — alongside pigmentation, acne and scar work. The site has single-page English and Chinese versions; they cover a few treatments only and do not carry the address, hours or directions, which are on the Korean pages.
Note that it closes on Wednesdays as well as Sundays and public holidays, which catches people out. Hours otherwise run 10:00 to 19:00, later to 20:00 on Thursday and Friday, and 10:00 to 16:00 on Saturday. There is a lunch break from 13:00 to 14:00 on weekdays; the clinic states plainly that Saturday runs without one. On prices: the site publishes a non-reimbursable fee page — a general consultation at KRW 20,000, certificates at 20,000 (Korean or English) — but no treatment prices.
Getting there: the clinic gives Exit 9 of Cheongdam Station (Line 7) as its access point.
4ever Clinic Cheongdam — Apgujeong-ro
Apgujeong-ro 444, 6F. The branch is headed by its chief director, Younghan Seo, and belongs to a group with around twenty branches, most of them in the Seoul Capital Area.
One thing worth understanding about group clinics generally: the treatment menu shown on a branch site is usually published at group level and covers everything the group offers somewhere. It does not necessarily mean every procedure runs at that particular address. If you have a specific treatment in mind, confirm it is performed at this branch before you book. That is sensible with any multi-branch clinic, here included.
The group publishes WeChat and LINE channels for international enquiries, but those are run by other branches — the Cheongdam branch’s own channel is KakaoTalk. Confirm which branch you are speaking to before relying on an answer.
Hours are 10:00 to 20:00 on weekdays with a lunch break from 13:00 to 14:00, and 10:00 to 15:30 on Saturday. Prices are not published online.
Where it is: the Apgujeong-ro end of the district.
Chungdam The Cell (청담더셀의원) — Dosan-daero (opening September 2026)
Dosan-daero 412, 3F and 8F. A new clinic scheduled to open around 21 September 2026, on the stretch of Dosan-daero where much of the district’s clinic activity is concentrated.
According to information provided by the clinic, the opening menu will include ONDA lifting and Thermage FLX, with Ultherapy Prime added later in the year, alongside intravenous and regenerative treatments. Multi-floor clinics are common in this district, so the floor split on its own says nothing about the range of services.
It had not opened at the time of writing, so we have not seen the facility, confirmed which languages consultations are available in, or verified pricing. We will update this entry once it is open. If you are planning a trip for the autumn, contact them directly to confirm what is running by your dates.
What we can and cannot tell you: the clinic has not opened, so we have not seen it and cannot confirm hours, languages or pricing. Everything here comes from the operator. We are not in a position to recommend a clinic we have not been able to check.
Which of these suits your trip
- You are travelling by subway and want it simple → the Samseong-ro option, one minute from Cheongdam Station
- You want to ask questions in advance → a clinic with a messaging channel that is actually monitored
- You are weighing several treatments → ask each clinic which of them it actually performs on site before you compare
- You are coming in late 2026 → it is worth checking what has newly opened, since the district turns over quickly
Frequently asked questions
Is Cheongdam more expensive than other parts of Seoul?
Generally the district sits at the upper end, though the gap is smaller than its reputation suggests. Because most clinics here do not publish prices, the honest answer is that you will not know until you have a written quote — which is why standardising your questions matters more than choosing a district.
Do clinics here speak English?
Many have English or Chinese versions of their websites, and some run messaging channels for international enquiries. That is not the same as having an English-speaking doctor in the consultation room. Ask specifically whether the consultation itself will be in English or through an interpreter, and confirm before you book.
Which station should I aim for?
Apgujeong Rodeo for Dosan-daero, Cheongdam for Samseong-ro and the eastern end, Apgujeong for Apgujeong-ro. Check which road your clinic is on rather than assuming, since the three stations are not close to each other on foot.
How far in advance should I book?
Contact clinics before you arrive in Korea rather than after. Saturday and late-afternoon slots go first, and messaging ahead gives you time to get a written quote and settle the language question while you can still change plans.
Can I combine treatments on one visit?
Often, and clinics in this district will usually propose it. Whether combining is sensible for you, and in what order, is a clinical decision. Ask the clinician to explain why each element is included rather than accepting a package as given.
Is there downtime with these lifting devices?
Downtime, side effects and how long any change takes to appear vary by device and by person, and we are not in a position to give clinical information on any of it. Specifics vary by device and by person, so confirm with the clinic if you have plans immediately afterwards.
Should I book somewhere new or somewhere established?
Neither is inherently safer. A new clinic may have newer equipment and more availability; an established one has a longer record you can check. What matters more is who performs the treatment, what dose is included, and whether the clinic will put its answers in writing.
What should I bring to a consultation?
A note of any treatments you have already had and when, a list of medications, and your travel dates. Clinics plan differently for someone flying out in three days than for someone staying a month, and saying so early avoids being recommended a course you cannot complete.
Last updated: 31 July 2026.
This article is general information, not medical advice. We are not medical professionals. The treatments mentioned are medical procedures that carry risks, and results vary from person to person. Always consult a licensed doctor before deciding on any treatment. Clinic details are taken from each clinic’s official website, or from information the clinic provided, and can change — confirm directly before booking.
This article includes clinics we work with commercially. Our selection criteria are set out above.
Seoul Beauty Brief 