Cosmetic surgery: the standard table

The Fair Trade Commission publishes the standards (Notice 2025-14). For cosmetic surgery (성형수술), they set these amounts, as a share of the deposit:

Cancelled	If the patient cancels: deposit refunded	If the clinic is at fault: deposit returned plus compensation of
3 or more days before surgery	90%	10%
2 days before	50%	50%
1 day before	20%	80%
On the day or later	Nothing	100%

Three further points from the standards:

A large deposit is capped for the calculation. If the deposit is more than 10% of the surgery price, the refunds and compensation are calculated on 10% of the surgery price only.
Moving the date is not cancelling. If the clinic or the patient changes the planned surgery date, that does not count as ending the contract.
Older articles mix up the columns. Some articles give 80% or 90% for cancelling one day before. The 80% belongs to the clinic-at-fault column. When a patient cancels one day before, the refund is 20%.

Skin treatments and prepaid courses

For cosmetic skin treatments sold as a package or course (피부과 시술 및 치료), the standards work in a different way:

The patient cancels before treatment starts: the clinic may keep 10% of the deposit.
The patient cancels after treatment has started: the patient pays for the sessions already used plus 10% of the total course price, and the rest is refunded.
The clinic is at fault, before treatment starts: the deposit is returned plus 10%.
The clinic is at fault, after treatment has started: the unused amount is refunded plus 10% of the total price.

In July 2026 the Fair Trade Commission made 15 skin and cosmetic clinics fix unfair terms for prepaid treatment, according to a Newsis report. On early cancellation, those clinics now deduct the treatments already received and a 10% penalty, and refund the rest. Clauses such as "no refund for change of mind", "no refund for event prices" and "no refund after expiry" were removed. The Commission said it would consider standard terms (표준약관) for prepaid skin and cosmetic treatment. This applied to those 15 clinics, so check the terms of the clinic you use.

How much weight these standards carry

The standards are the official yardstick for agreements and for mediation recommendations, for example by the Korea Consumer Agency. They are not a statute, and they do not automatically override your contract. So the terms you sign matter. If the contract gives you less than the standards, point to the standards and ask the clinic to explain the difference.

The version we read is Notice 2025-14. The notice can be revised, so confirm the current version on law.go.kr.

What a foreign patient should receive in writing

A registered institution is a clinic registered under the foreign-patient Act (의료 해외진출 및 외국인환자 유치 지원에 관한 법률). Registered institutions must give foreign patients, in a separate document:

the diagnosis, the treatment method and possible side effects;
a treatment contract in the MOHW form, together with the estimated fees;
the dispute-resolution procedure to follow if a medical accident happens.

Deposit and cancellation terms should appear in the treatment contract. Registered clinics must display their registration certificate where anyone can see it, and they must carry medical malpractice liability insurance. Registration lasts 3 years. Ask whether the clinic is registered, and ask the clinic to show the certificate.

Questions to ask before you pay a deposit

How much is the deposit, and what share of the surgery price is it? Above 10% of the price, the standards calculate refunds on 10% of the price only.
Is the deposit refundable, and what share do I lose if I cancel 3 days, 2 days, 1 day or 0 days before? Is this written in the contract?
If I move the date, is that a cancellation, and does the clinic charge a fee?
If the clinic cancels or moves the date, what do I receive?
For a course or package: how are used sessions priced, what happens to the unused sessions, and does the course expire?
Is an event-price course refundable? Ask this in writing.
Who receives the deposit, the clinic or an agency, and how and when would a refund be paid?
Can I have the contract and the estimated fees in a language I read? Keep a copy of the contract and the receipt (see receipts and medical records).

FAQ

Can I get my deposit back if I cancel cosmetic surgery in Korea?

Under the Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards, a patient who cancels gets 90% of the deposit back three or more days before surgery, 50% two days before, 20% one day before and nothing on the day or after. These are standards for agreement or mediation, not a statute, so the contract you signed also matters. Check its terms before paying.

What if the clinic moves my surgery date?

Under the standards, a change of the planned date by the clinic or by the patient does not count as cancelling the contract. That means the cancellation percentages do not start just because the date moved. Ask the clinic in advance whether it charges for moving a date, and get the answer in writing.

Can I get a refund on a prepaid skin treatment course?

Under the standards, if you cancel before treatment starts, the clinic may keep 10% of the deposit. After it starts, you pay for sessions already used plus 10% of the total course price, and the rest is refunded. In July 2026 the Fair Trade Commission made 15 clinics change terms that refused refunds. Check your own contract.

Is there a law that sets these refund percentages?

Not directly. The percentages come from the Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards, a notice that the Fair Trade Commission publishes, not from a statute. They are the official yardstick for agreement or mediation recommendations, for example by the Korea Consumer Agency, and do not automatically override a contract. Ask the clinic to show the cancellation terms before you pay.

Where can I get help if a clinic refuses a refund?

Our sources say the Medical Korea Information Center counsels foreign patients on complaints and disputes. The Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency (K-medi) handles medical accidents, not deposit refunds. K-medi dismisses an application if the same dispute is already in court or before a consumer dispute mediation committee, so choose one route. Confirm contact details on their official sites.

Sources

Standards and statutes were read on law.go.kr on 29 October 2026. The standards and the Fair Trade Commission's standard terms for prepaid skin treatment can change, so confirm the current version on the official site.

Deposits and cancellations at Korean clinics: what the refund standards say