Korean Dictionary
How to say "Plastic surgery" in Korean
“Plastic surgery” in Korean is 성형수술 (pronounced "Seonghyeongsusul").
성형수술
Seonghyeongsusul
Usage & Context
Korea has one of the world's highest rates of cosmetic procedures per capita. 성형수술 is relatively normalized in Korean culture, particularly double eyelid surgery (쌍꺼풀 수술) and nose jobs (코 성형). Gangnam district in Seoul is internationally known as a plastic surgery hub with hundreds of clinics.
Example Sentence
강남은 성형수술 병원으로 유명해요.
Gangnam is famous for plastic surgery clinics.
How to use 성형수술 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Plastic surgery” is 성형수술, romanized as Seonghyeongsusul.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 성형수술.
Pronunciation Guide
Pronounce '성형수술' as: 'Seong' like 'sung' in 'sunglasses', 'hyeong' like 'hyung' (as in the Korean term for older brother). Then, 'su' like 'soo' in 'soup', and 'sul' like 'sull' in 'sullen'. The stress is fairly even.
More Example Sentences
Explaining common cosmetic procedures to a foreigner.
한국에서는 쌍꺼풀 성형수술이 흔한 편이에요.
Double eyelid plastic surgery is quite common in Korea.
Talking about a friend's personal decision.
친구가 코 성형수술을 고민하고 있어요.
My friend is considering nose plastic surgery.
Discussing societal views on cosmetic procedures.
요즘은 성형수술에 대한 인식이 많이 달라졌어요.
These days, the perception of plastic surgery has changed a lot.
Cultural Context
Korea has one of the highest rates of cosmetic procedures globally, and '성형수술' (plastic surgery) is relatively normalized in the culture. Common procedures include '쌍꺼풀 수술' (double eyelid surgery) and '코 성형' (nose jobs). Gangnam district in Seoul is internationally recognized as a major hub for plastic surgery clinics. While it's a personal choice, discussions around plastic surgery are more open in Korea than in many other countries.
Editorial note
We review entries like 성형수술 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
성형수술을 받다
To get plastic surgery
성형수술 상담
Plastic surgery consultation
성형수술 부작용
Plastic surgery side effects
Related Expressions
시술
sisul
Procedure (less invasive cosmetic procedures)
외모
oemo
Appearance
미용
miyong
Beauty (often refers to beauty treatments)
성형외과
seonghyeong-oegwa
Plastic surgery clinic/department
More Culture Words
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