Regenerative-medicine designation certifies the institution, not the individual treatment
Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare publishes a searchable list of designated regenerative medicine institutions. But the law requires separate review of each treatment plan, so appearing on the list does not mean a clinic's anti-ageing procedure has been approved.
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Designation as an advanced regenerative medicine institution means the Ministry of Health and Welfare has certified that the institution may perform regenerative medicine. Approval of an individual treatment plan is a separate process.
What Korean clinics market as “stem cell treatment” in a cosmetic or anti-ageing context uses cells taken from the patient’s own blood, fat or bone marrow. The Advanced Regenerative Bio Act governs this field, and two distinct approval stages are routinely read as one.
Separating the two stages
| Stage | What is assessed | Published? |
|---|---|---|
| Institutional designation | Whether the institution meets facility and staffing requirements | Yes — listed on the national portal |
| Treatment plan review | Whether a specific treatment for a specific indication may proceed | No — must be confirmed institution by institution |
The Act also limits who may be treated: patients with no alternative therapy, or with serious, rare or intractable conditions. A name on the list therefore cannot be read as approval of that institution’s cosmetic or anti-ageing stem cell procedure. The converse does not hold either — some procedures, such as minimally manipulated autologous cells given the same day, are presented as sitting outside the Act, so absence from the list does not establish that a clinic cannot treat.
How to check a designation
Search the designated-institution list on the Advanced Regenerative Medicine portal (k-arm.go.kr) by institution name. 203 institutions were listed as of 24 August 2026. Two common reasons a search fails:
- The registered name differs from the signage. Listings use the corporate or licensed name, so a brand name may not match.
- The list has been updated. Record the designation date alongside the date you checked.
Worked example
Five clinics in the Gangnam area checked against the list on 24 August 2026. “Confirmed” refers to institutional designation; no anti-ageing treatment plan approval was confirmed for any of the five.
| Clinic | Designation (institution level) | Cell sources listed |
|---|---|---|
| GU Clinic | Confirmed — 재생-1-0036 · 2025-03-05 | Blood (HSC), fat and bone marrow, separately |
| Gangnam Seran Clinic | Confirmed — 재생-1-0026 · 2024-12-24 | Not differentiated |
| Thank You Plastic Surgery | Confirmed — 재생-1-0046 · 2025-05-21 | Blood, fat and marrow, on a separate domain |
| Cheongdam Cell Clinic | Not found on the list | Not differentiated |
| U&Me Clinic Gangnam | Not found on the list | Blood (haematopoietic) |
Designation numbers are published in the form 재생-1-NNNN, which is practically useful: ask for the number at consultation and it can be matched against the list immediately.
Reading cell source
Blood (haematopoietic), fat and bone marrow differ in how cells are harvested and how invasive that is. Of the five clinics above, one distinguished all three sources; the rest grouped everything as “stem cells” or named a single source. Exosomes are a further category — vesicles secreted by cells rather than the cells themselves.
From the source
Designation is a qualification of the institution, not approval of an individual treatment. The Act requires review of each treatment plan separately from designation, and limits eligible patients to those with no alternative therapy or with serious, rare or intractable disease. Presence on the list therefore cannot be read as approval of that institution’s cosmetic or anti-ageing stem cell procedure.
— Stem Cell Anti-Aging Clinics in Gangnam: What to Check — Verifying Regenerative Medicine Institution Status (kbeautyguide, 24 Aug 2026). The clinic-by-clinic list is Five Gangnam stem cell clinics compared (in Korean).
Related literature
- Estupiñan B, Ly K, Goldberg DJ. Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Versus Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment for Photoaged Facial Skin — An Investigator-Blinded, Split-Face, Non-Inferiority Trial. J Cosmet Dermatol 2025;24(5):e70208. PMID 40414798 · doi:10.1111/jocd.70208 → A split-face non-inferiority trial applying PRP to one half of the face and topical exosomes to the other alongside radiofrequency microneedling. Both improved wrinkling, dyschromia, erythema and texture comparably; histology showed increased collagen I and glycosaminoglycans with no significant difference between groups.
- Liang C, et al. Unveiling Exosomes in Combating Skin Aging — Insights into Resources, Mechanisms and Challenges. Stem Cell Res Ther 2025;16(1):474. PMID 40877877 → A review of exosome sources, mechanisms and outstanding challenges in skin ageing.
Sources: Advanced Regenerative Bio Act. Ministry of Health and Welfare designated-institution list (k-arm.go.kr), 203 institutions as retrieved 24 August 2026. Last checked 2026-08-24.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I check whether a clinic is a designated regenerative medicine institution?
On the Advanced Regenerative Medicine portal at k-arm.go.kr, searching the designated-institution list by institution name. As of 24 August 2026 the list held 203 institutions.
If a clinic is on the list, is its stem cell anti-ageing treatment approved?
No. The Advanced Regenerative Bio Act requires review of each treatment plan separately from institutional designation, and limits eligible patients to those with no alternative therapy or with serious, rare or intractable disease. Designation confirms the institution only.
If a clinic is not on the list, can it not offer stem cell treatment?
Not necessarily. A corporate name may differ from the signage, the list is updated over time, and some procedures — such as minimally manipulated autologous cells administered same-day — are presented as falling outside this Act.