VOGUE KOREA’s K-Beauty Leader: Dr. Youngjun Oh of KUDO Dermatology
A space defined by balance and openness, rather than a factory-like treatment room filled with medical equipment. More reminiscent of a gallery than a clinic, KUDO Dermatology has moved beyond the local scene and onto the global radar. Its visitors include well-known celebrities and influencers, and a recent visit by Kim Kardashian brought the clinic further into the spotlight. It is also why the clinic’s website is available in four languages, including Korean. Patients from Monaco, France, Russia, Dubai, the United States, and beyond are willing to book flights to experience Dr. Youngjun Oh’s expertise. It is the moment when a clinic becomes a destination.
This also reflects where K-Clinics are headed today. Rather than creating dramatic changes through a single procedure, the focus is on understanding the condition of the skin and carefully combining multiple approaches to enhance its overall health and appearance. “We closely analyze skin tone and thickness, fat distribution, and even facial expression habits, then recommend treatments in carefully planned stages. For example, we may combine energy-based lifting devices to improve elasticity with skin boosters to refine skin texture, or, when necessary, add procedures such as under-eye fat repositioning.” Dr. Youngjun Oh explains, “Today, it is no longer about choosing a single treatment. The sequence and combination of treatments are what ultimately determine the result.”
Where does the competitive edge of K-Clinics come from?
The influence of K-Beauty remains strong, and that interest has now expanded beyond cosmetics into clinics. According to data released by Alipay+, the number of dermatology transactions in Korea increased by more than 98% year-on-year during the first three quarters of 2025. It signals a shift in how people are spending. In the past, visiting Korea might have meant purchasing cosmetics and receiving a simple facial treatment. Today, people travel for the aesthetic judgment and technical expertise of K-Clinics—in other words, the “sense of design” required to understand facial balance and overall impression, then recommend treatments tailored to each individual.
The way you combine multiple treatments is particularly interesting.
This approach began to evolve rapidly alongside the growth of the skin booster market in the early 2020s. As it became increasingly difficult to achieve complex skin improvements with a single device or procedure, the understanding of the different “layers” of the skin targeted by each technology became much more sophisticated. Research continued into how the epidermis, dermis, and deeper layers could each be stimulated and encouraged to recover. As a result, injectable treatments, lasers, and energy-based devices are now combined according to each patient’s needs.
How precisely do you customize treatments, and what criteria do you use?
Even within the same face, different areas respond at different depths and speeds. Based on this, we carefully adjust both the layer being targeted and the intensity of stimulation. For example, even when delivering a single Ultherapy shot, we adjust the energy level while considering the location of the facial nerves and the possibility of unwanted fat loss. Where to treat, at what depth, and how precisely to distribute the energy—that is the level of detail that defines the Korean approach.
Which treatments are currently most in demand?
Energy-based lifting devices such as Thermage, Ultherapy, and Tune Face, along with skin boosters including stem cell-based treatments. The key combination is what we call “lifting + skin conditioning”—improving elasticity in the deeper layers of the skin while enhancing overall skin density. At KUDO, we take this approach one step further. For the lower face, we begin with the fundamental facial structure, refining areas such as the deep cheek fat and double chin through a “facial contouring treatment.” Resonance ultrasound, simply put, uses energy to stimulate the deeper layers of the skin and encourage the tissue’s own elasticity. It precisely targets the collagen-rich dermal layer while minimizing tissue damage. Fine thermal and vibrational stimulation in the targeted area helps improve elasticity and create a naturally refined facial contour. Another key advantage is the minimal downtime, allowing patients to return to their daily activities immediately after treatment.
What is the defining reason people choose K-Clinics?
Technical skill, aesthetic judgment, and truly personalized treatment. Overseas, treatments are still often performed according to standardized protocols, which can sometimes lead to results that feel excessive or uniform. In Korea, however, even the same procedure is adjusted in intensity and treatment area according to each person’s facial structure and overall impression. The goal is to find balance without compromising the individuality of the patient’s natural features.
What role will K-Clinics play in the global market?
I believe they may evolve beyond medical services and become part of a broader lifestyle. Until now, these experiences have largely taken place within the clinic. In the future, the personalized care and expertise accumulated in Korean clinics may find their way into people’s everyday lives around the world through skincare products and at-home care routines.
VOGUE KOREA | CURATED CLINIC