Double eyelid surgery (쌍꺼풀 수술).

Double eyelid surgery creates a crease in the upper eyelid. The incisional method (절개법) opens the lid along the intended crease line, removes a small strip of tissue, and sutures the skin to the underlying levator muscle — making the crease permanent. The non-incisional or "buried suture" method (매몰법) passes fine sutures through tiny entry points, creating the crease without cutting — shorter downtime, but the crease can relax over 3–5 years. A partial-incision variant splits the difference.

People who want a defined upper-lid crease. Some pursue it for aesthetic balance; others for practical reasons — heavy upper lids pressing on the lash line. Korean surgeons typically run a pre-op assessment of levator function, lid thickness, and existing crease asymmetry before recommending a method. The buried method isn't available for every eye shape.

Which method the surgeon recommends and why. How many of that specific method they perform per week. The clinic's revision policy (buried-method creases can relax; incisional creases can drop). Whether the surgeon is board-certified in plastic surgery or oculoplastic specialty. Whether they use local anesthesia with sedation, or general. What is included in the quoted price.

Buried method: 3–7 days of visible swelling. Stitches are removed at day 4–5 (if non-absorbable). Most patients feel presentable in under a week. Incisional method: 7–14 days of swelling, stitches out at day 5–7, residual tightness for 4–8 weeks, full settling at 3–6 months.

Non-incisional (buried): ₩500,000–₩1,500,000. Partial incision: ₩1,200,000–₩2,500,000. Full incisional: ₩1,500,000–₩4,500,000. Gangnam flagship and Cheongdam clinics often run 20–40% above the upper end. Revision cases are quoted separately and typically run higher than primary surgery.

"Can I see un-retouched before/after photos of patients with my specific eye shape, taken at 3 and 6 months?" A confident surgeon will show them. A less confident one will show you marketing composites. That single question is one of the cleanest filters we know.