Research and Credentials
Dr. Young Jun Kim's published research, professional memberships and training, with links to the public records where each can be checked.
Choosing a surgeon for the face is choosing someone whose judgement you cannot easily inspect. Public, checkable records help: a specialist qualification issued by the Korean government, peer-reviewed research listed on PubMed, membership of professional societies in Korea and the United States, and a researcher identifier (ORCID) that links a surgeon's name to his own work. This page collects these records for Dr. Kim in one place.
At a Glance
Dr. Young Jun Kim is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Korea in his 16th year of practice. He graduated from Chonnam National University Medical School, completed his plastic surgery residency there, served as a clinical professor of plastic surgery at Chonnam National University, and holds a Master of Science in Medicine. He is the first author of a peer-reviewed, PubMed-indexed study on how much Koreans value facial appearance as a function of the face, published in Archives of Plastic Surgery in 2013. He is a full member of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, the Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), an international member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and completed an advanced rhinoplasty workshop at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas.
| ORCID iD | 0009-0006-8403-5156Open Researcher and Contributor ID, a persistent identifier for researchers |
| Publication author name | Kim YJ (Young Jun Kim) |
| Specialist qualification | Board-certified plastic surgeon, Republic of Korea |
| Education | Chonnam National University Medical School (M.D.) · Master of Science in Medicine, Chonnam National University Graduate School (2013) |
| Master's thesis | The importance of appearance as a facial function in Koreans (Chonnam National University Graduate School, August 2013; written in English; supervised by Prof. Kwang Seog Kim) · RISS record |
| Residency | Plastic surgery residency, Chonnam National University |
| Academic appointment | Clinical professor of plastic surgery, Chonnam National University |
| Experience | 16th year of practice as a plastic surgeon |
| Peer-reviewed paper | First author, Archives of Plastic Surgery 2013;40(6):715–720 · PubMed 24286044 · DOI 10.5999/aps.2013.40.6.715 |
| Conference presentation | Topic presentation in the facial session of a Korean plastic and reconstructive surgery scientific meeting (2013) |
| Societies in Korea | Full member, Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons · Full member, Korean Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery · Full member, Korean Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery · Full member, Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons · Full member, Korean anti-aging research society · Member, minimally invasive surgery study group of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons |
| International societies | Full member, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) · International member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) |
| Sculptra | One of the 30 Sculptra key doctor masters gathered by Galderma Korea for THE ORIGINAL SCULPTRA Master Summit, Conrad Seoul (January 2026); panelist · BioTimes · Medical Observer |
| Lectures | Speaker, HILO WAVE launch symposium, Busan (April 2026): "Dual-HA collagen booster injection code: a strategic approach that plans the lift first while keeping natural volume" · report Theory lecture, DEEP Symposium hosted by Daewoong Pharmaceutical and DNC Aesthetics, Seoul (August 2026), on stepwise combination treatment for skin quality and contouring, to about 100 clinicians · report |
| Industry events | Invited to the Asia-Pacific launch of Ultherapy PRIME at the Grand Hyatt Seoul (July 2025), where invitations for doctors in Korea were limited to 50 |
| Writing for patients | Doctor's columns and signed answers to patient questions for Violacell Plastic Surgery, on Ulthera, Ultherapy PRIME, skin boosters including Re2O, collagen stimulators and lifting |
| Training in the United States | Advanced rhinoplasty workshop, UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas |
The Functionality of Facial Appearance and Its Importance to a Korean Population
Kim YJ, Park JW, Kim JM, Park SH, Hwang JH, Kim KS, Lee SY, Shin JH. Archives of Plastic Surgery. 2013;40(6):715–720. Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. Dr. Kim is the first author. The paper grew out of his master's thesis on the same question, completed at Chonnam National University Graduate School in 2013 under Prof. Kwang Seog Kim, one of the paper's co-authors.
The question
The face breathes, sees, smells, eats and speaks, and it also carries appearance. Plastic surgery is often discussed as if appearance were a luxury next to these functions. Few studies had asked people directly how important a normal facial appearance is compared with the face's other functions. This study measured that in Korea.
How it was studied
An online panel survey of 300 adults aged 20 to 70. Each participant completed a demographic form, the Facial Function Assessment Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and standard gamble questions, a method used in health research to measure how much a person values a state of health.
What it found
Participants rated a normal appearance as important as communication, breathing, speech and vision, and more important than the sense of smell and facial expression. Of the 300 participants, 85% said a normal appearance is important in social activities.
Why it matters to patients
The study supports treating the appearance of the face as a genuine function of the face, one that affects how people live and work with others, rather than as vanity. It is the same view that shapes Dr. Kim's consultations: the goal is a face that looks natural and functions well in daily life, with every change explained against its risks.
In the Press
News coverage and columns naming Dr. Young Jun Kim, newest first. Articles from his years at Liting Plastic Surgery and BRAUN Plastic Surgery describe earlier work, including surgery he no longer performs at Violacell. Coverage is in Korean; summaries are translated.
| Date | Outlet | Article |
|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | Bokuen News | Report on his HILO WAVE launch symposium lectureQuoted: a precise injection strategy grounded in anatomy allows a more stable, natural approach. |
| August 2026 | Doctor's News and others | DEEP Symposium, Daewoong Pharmaceutical and DNC AestheticsTheory lecture on stepwise combination treatment, covered by more than ten outlets. |
| February 2026 | Medical Observer | THE ORIGINAL SCULPTRA Master Summit, panel Q&AExplains how Sculptra regenerates structural proteins and why patients find the gradual result natural. |
| January 2026 | BioTimes | Galderma Korea gathers 30 Sculptra key doctor mastersCoverage of the summit and how the 30 doctors were selected. |
| July 2025 | Medical Today | On microwave lifting for the double chinQuoted: because skin thickness and fat distribution differ, handpiece size and shot distribution should be custom-designed. |
| January 2025 | Eroun.net | Precautions before lifting and injectable treatmentsQuoted: treatment should follow one-to-one design and aftercare for each face. |
| December 2024 | Eroun.net | Violacell Plastic Surgery opening interviewQuoted: few doctors look at both the inside and outside of the tissue; procedures and surgery should be weighed together. |
| June 2023 | Medical Today | Face and neck aging togetherAs director at Liting Plastic Surgery: face and neck lines should be treated together for a natural result. |
| May 2023 | Mediafine | Column: functional discomfort of the aging eyesHis own column on choosing eyelid, brow and forehead treatment by cause. |
| February 2023 | PharmNews | Column: lifting by facial zoneHis own column on planning lifting separately for the upper, middle and lower face. |
| October 2022 | Medical Today | Why face and neck lifting go togetherAs director at Liting Plastic Surgery, on lifting the face and neck as one. |
| January 2020 | Industry Journal | Revision eyelid surgery and consultationAdvice credited to him as a director at BRAUN Plastic Surgery. |
How to Check a Surgeon's Records
Every item on this page can be checked independently. The same steps are worth taking for any surgeon you are considering, in Korea or elsewhere.
- Specialist qualification. In Korea, the title "specialist in plastic surgery" is granted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare after residency training and a national board examination. A clinic name containing "plastic surgery" does not by itself mean every doctor there holds this qualification.
- Peer-reviewed research. Search PubMed by the surgeon's publication name. Peer review means the work was checked by other specialists before publication.
- ORCID iD. An ORCID iD is a permanent identifier that researchers use to link their name to their own publications, which helps distinguish authors who share common names.
- Society membership. Membership of national societies shows ongoing participation in the specialty's training and scientific meetings.
Where This Experience Is Used
Treatments Dr. Kim provides, and the surgical guides he has written.