Can a clinic put patient reviews and before-and-after photos on its website?

Short answer: patient consent alone is not enough

In South Korea, even if a patient agrees to the use of a photo or text, medical advertising rules still apply. A treatment testimonial that could mislead people about effectiveness is prohibited. Do not make a positive review requested or rewarded by the clinic look like an independent account. That does not mean every simple visit account written independently by a patient is automatically prohibited.

What makes a review different from a visit note?

‘The staff were kind’ describes a visit; ‘this procedure cured me’ claims a treatment result. If a clinic selects or edits reviews for its site, assess who is publishing them and the overall impression. A login screen is not an automatic exemption: if almost anyone can sign up or use a temporary account, the material may still be treated as a public advertisement.

Are all before-and-after photos prohibited?

The Ministry of Health and Welfare casebook does not treat every public before-and-after photo as prohibited. It describes conditions including a real patient treated at that clinic, the same person in both images, stated photo dates, comparable conditions without manipulation, and information on relevant side effects. Avoid lighting, angles, or retouching that exaggerate a change, or a layout suggesting everyone can expect the same result.

Identifiable patient photos and health details also require a separate privacy check. Verify consent for the stated publication purpose and audience, along with how the material will be stored and removed.

What if those materials are not ready?

You can explain who a service is for, the consultation process, options, and precautions without reviews or result photos. When discussing a page with a website studio, send only the type of wording or a de-identified example, not a real patient's name, contact details, photos, or records. The clinic should check originals and permissions internally before deciding what to publish.