THE LINE · Seoul Stem Cell Lab
Stem cell clinic in Gangnam, Seoul
with its own cell laboratory
Seoul Stem Cell Lab isolates and purifies stem cells from your own fat inside our building, with nothing outsourced. Because the cells never leave the building, we control both the time they spend outside the body and the conditions they meet.
dedicated research department
of concentrated cells
of your own cells
(since 2007, institution total)
Seoul Stem Cell Lab is an in-house cell laboratory on the 5th floor of THE LINE Plastic Surgery, on Garosu-gil in Gangnam, Seoul. Fat is harvested in the 6th-floor operating room and taken one floor down, where the stem cells are separated and purified within 45 minutes and used the same day. The cells are not cultured or expanded, and whatever is left is stored in liquid nitrogen at -196℃. In 2023 the lab was recognised by Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT as a dedicated stem cell research department.
Four things this lab does differently
These are working rules, not promises about results.
The cells never leave the building
No samples are sent to an outside cell processing facility. There is no transport time and no temperature swing on the road, and if something goes wrong we can trace which step it happened at. Fat harvested on the 6th floor comes straight down to the 5th.
Nothing is cultured
Isolated cells are used as they are, without culturing them to increase their number. Culturing and expanding autologous cells falls under separate Korean regulation on advanced regenerative medicine, and this lab works inside that boundary.
The cells are counted first
After isolation, a cell counter gives the number and a microscope shows the condition. If the yield falls short of the plan, the treatment plan is adjusted on the spot and you are told so.
The limits are said out loud
There is a range to what cell therapy can be expected to change. It does not apply to every condition, and it does not produce the same outcome in every person. We do not run consultations that explain only the upside.
From harvesting to treatment, in one day
Each step happens in the same building, so there is no stage where the sample is in transit.
| Step | Where | Time | What it decides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat harvesting | 6F operating room | 30 min to 1 hour by site | The proportion of cells that are still alive |
| Transfer to the lab | 6F to 5F | Immediate | No temperature change in transit |
| Enzymatic separation | 5F clean bench | Fixed conditions | Recovery rate and degree of cell damage |
| Centrifugation and purification | 5F | Within 45 minutes | Recovery of the concentrated cell layer |
| Counting and inspection | 5F | About 10 minutes | Whether to proceed, and any change to the plan |
| Treatment or storage | By purpose | Same day | Remaining cells go into storage at -196℃ |
What the cells are used for
Cells are processed differently depending on the purpose. Detailed Korean pages exist for each programme.
Whole-body anti-ageing IV
Concentrated autologous cells given intravenously, aimed at general condition and recovery rather than a single site.
Skin and scars
Skin regeneration injections, autologous ECM skin boosters, and treatment for burn, acne, keloid and stretch mark scars.
Knee and joints
Injection into the knee joint for degenerative change, planned together with imaging and examination.
Hair and scalp
Scalp injection aimed at the hair growth environment, used alongside standard hair loss treatment rather than replacing it.
Lifting and body
360 full-face non-incisional lifting, fat grafting and body contouring performed with the same harvested tissue.
Cell banking
Cells you do not use today are frozen in liquid nitrogen at -196℃ and kept under 24-hour monitoring.
Results and recovery differ from person to person, and stem cell treatment is not a cure for every condition. The number and activity of cells actually obtained vary with age, body composition and harvesting site. Detailed treatment pages are currently written in Korean; the consultation itself is available in English.
Recognised in 2023, and clear about what we do not hold
The Ministry of Science and ICT reviews research staff, facilities and research activity before recognising a dedicated research department. It is a registered status, not a marketing label. THE LINE Plastic Surgery also held JCI accreditation from 2015 to 2018 and holds ISO 9001.
We are equally explicit about what we do not hold: this lab is not designated as an advanced regenerative medicine institution, because that designation applies to institutions running clinical research involving cell culture and expansion, which we do not do.
See the full listThe surgeon who harvests runs the lab
Cell quality is decided at harvesting, before any equipment is involved. That is why the directors harvest the tissue themselves.
Jaeho Cho, MD, PhD
Director of Seoul Stem Cell Lab. Doctor of Medicine and board-certified general surgeon, 31 years in practice, 80,000 cumulative liposuction cases. Standing director of the Korean Society of Liposuction. Oversees harvesting, isolation and cell quality checks.
Yuseok Jung, MD
Consulting physician. Board-certified plastic surgeon, 32 years in practice. Former adjunct professor at Kyung Hee University College of Medicine and professor of plastic surgery at Nanjing Medical University, China. Handles anti-ageing, autologous ECM and lifting.
Questions we are asked from abroad
Can I be treated in English?
THE LINE Plastic Surgery is a medical institution designated by Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare to treat international patients. Consultations can be arranged in English, and enquiries are accepted through WhatsApp, LINE and WeChat before you travel.
The clinical procedure is the same as for domestic patients. Interpretation support depends on the language and the date, so please ask when you enquire.
How many days should I plan to stay in Seoul?
Harvesting, isolation and treatment happen on the same day, so the treatment itself is one visit. Consultation, pre-treatment tests and a follow-up review are separate visits, and the number of days depends on what is planned. This is confirmed during the consultation before you book flights.
Are the cells cultured or expanded?
No. Cells separated from your own fat are used the same day without culturing. Culturing and expanding autologous cells requires a separate regulatory route in Korea under the law on advanced regenerative medicine, and this lab does not perform it.
The incubator in the lab is used for cell condition management and research, not to grow cells for treatment.
Whose cells are used?
Only your own. No donor-derived or umbilical cord blood cells are used. The tissue is harvested from your own fat under sedation, and any cells not used on the day are stored under your own identifier.
Where exactly is the clinic?
65 Garosu-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, about a 5-minute walk from Sinsa Station exit 8 on Line 3 and the Sinbundang Line. Consultation is on the 4th floor, the lab on the 5th, and the operating rooms on the 6th.