Patients researching LASIK in Korea usually find wildly different quotes online with no real explanation. Here's what actually drives the number — and it's rarely the clinic, it's the technology your eyes actually need.
I'm Dr. Baek Dong-won, Representative Director at EYEONCE Eye Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul. Patients frequently message us with a quote they found online and ask if it's realistic — and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on which procedure that quote was actually for. "LASIK" gets used online as a catch-all for several genuinely different procedures — traditional LASIK, LASEK, SMILE LASIK and SMILE PRO — and they aren't priced the same, because they aren't the same surgery.
Traditional LASIK and LASEK use an older, well-established approach; SMILE LASIK and SMILE PRO use newer flapless keyhole technology that generally costs more to deliver. Neither tier is automatically "better" for every patient — which one actually fits your eyes depends on your cornea and prescription, confirmed at your diagnostic exam, not on which option happens to be cheaper or newer.
Higher myopia and higher astigmatism generally mean more correction is being done in a single procedure, which affects the price within whichever technology tier you end up in. Two patients choosing the same procedure can still get different quotes once their actual prescriptions are measured — a pre-exam estimate online can't account for that, but your own exam will.
Before any procedure is recommended, the exam measures corneal thickness, corneal shape and overall eye health — this is what actually determines whether you're a candidate for a given procedure at all, not just what it costs. A quote given without this workup is an estimate based on averages, not a number specific to your eyes.
A quote that only covers the day of surgery leaves out a real cost: what happens if you need a follow-up re-examination, or in rare cases a re-treatment, after you've already flown home. At EYEONCE, this is covered under our lifetime aftercare commitment rather than billed separately — when comparing quotes, it's worth asking directly whether aftercare is included or priced as an add-on later.
Send us your current glasses or contact lens prescription on WhatsApp and we'll give you a starting range based on that, then confirm the exact number and procedure at your in-person diagnostic exam. If you're also unsure which procedure your prescription even qualifies for, our guide to LASIK candidacy in Korea and our guide to matching prescription strength to procedure are good starting points before you reach out.
Results and suitability vary by individual. The ranges and factors above are general guidance, not a fixed price list — your exact quote and procedure recommendation are confirmed only through an in-person diagnostic exam.
Representative Director, EYEONCE Eye Clinic Gangnam · Former Clinical Instructor, Dept. of Ophthalmology, Samsung Seoul Hospital · Member, Korean & American Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgery · Last reviewed October 2026
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An English-speaking eye clinic in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul — moments from Sinnonhyeon Station and easily reached from Incheon International Airport.
5–6F, Duo Sinnonhyeon, 368 Sapyeong-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
+82-10-6308-0984 — English, Chinese, Mongolian & Thai
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 09:00–18:00 · Sat 09:00–16:00 · Lunch break 13:00–14:00 · Closed Wed & Sun
By appointment only · Registration may close early depending on the day’s schedule.
Sinnonhyeon Station (Line 9 / Sinbundang Line) — 3 min walk. Gangnam Station (Line 2) nearby.