MFDS, KFDA, and Korean Regulatory Glossary (50 Terms A-Z)

One arrives in Seoul, takes the lift to the seventh floor, and is offered tea — but underneath the marble lobby sits a regulatory architecture that recommends itself only to those who read it carefully. The MFDS does not advertise; KHIDI rarely speaks above a whisper. 呢個 system 真係好細緻, a Hong Kong colleague observed last spring, and she was not wrong. What follows is a curated A-Z index — fifty terms, defined briefly, cross-linked where they matter — for the reader who would like to understand the framework before, rather than after, the consultation.

A-Z Index

Jump to a letter. Each entry is 80-150 words; cross-links sit at the foot of each definition. The list is alphabetical by canonical English term, with the Korean original — and occasional Cantonese gloss — given where the official register matters more than the translation.

• A — Advanced Regenerative Bio Act, Article 56(4) Medical Service Act, ATMP
• B — Biopharmaceuticals Division, Bridging Study
• C — Cell Therapy Product, Clinical Trial Notification, Cosmeceutical, CTAP
• D — Designated Medical Institution, Drug Master File, DUR
• E — Emergency Use Authorisation, Exosome Product, Extracorporeal Device
• F — Foreign Patient Attraction Registration
• G — GCP, GLP, GMP (Korean variants)
• H — Hira (HIRA), Health Insurance Review Agency
• I — IND, Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• K — KFDA (legacy), KGMP, KHIDI, K-MSD, KoNECT
• M — MFDS, MOHW, Medical Device Class I-IV
• N — NIFDS, Notification (KCD code)
• O — Off-label Use, OTC
• P — PMS (Post-Marketing Surveillance), PIC/S, PV
• Q — Quasi-drug (의약외품)
• R — Risk-based Classification, RWE (Real-World Evidence)
• S — Stem Cell Product, Specialty Hospital Designation
• T — Tissue Engineering Product
• U — Unapproved Use Disclosure

A — Foundational Statutes and Acronyms

The letter A holds the structural beams.

Advanced Regenerative Bio Act (첨단재생바이오법)

The Advanced Regenerative Bio Act — enacted August 2020 — is the framework statute that governs cell therapies, gene therapies, and tissue-engineered products in Korea. It separated regenerative medicine from the older Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and created a tiered review pathway tied to risk class. In practice, it is the document that allows a Gangnam clinic to administer an autologous stem-cell preparation under a designated-institution licence, rather than under generic drug-approval rules. The Act sits beneath the MFDS and is interpreted through MOHW notifications — see also: MFDS, MOHW, Designated Medical Institution.

Article 56(4), Medical Service Act

Article 56(4) of the Medical Service Act is the provision that prohibits comparative medical advertising in Korea — a clinic may not name a competitor, rank itself against another, or claim superlatives such as 'best' or 'number one'. The clause is read together with the Medical Service Act Enforcement Decree and applies to foreign-language content directed at Korean clinics under the Medical Korea Act. For editorial purposes the rule is categorical, not aspirational; categorical comparison (e.g., 'energy-based device A vs B') remains permitted. See also: KHIDI, Foreign Patient Attraction Registration.

ATMP (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product)

ATMP is the European Medicines Agency term for cell, gene, and tissue-engineered products; in Korea the equivalent statutory category is administered under the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act and divided into Cell Therapy Product, Gene Therapy Product, and Tissue Engineering Product. Korean regulators recognise the EMA classification informally during bridging-study reviews — a useful detail for readers comparing Seoul's pathway with Basel's or Cambridge's. The translation is not exact, but the regulatory intent rhymes. See also: Cell Therapy Product, Bridging Study.

B — Bridging the Foreign File

Two terms that govern how a foreign dossier becomes a Korean approval.

Biopharmaceuticals Division (바이오의약품정책과)

The Biopharmaceuticals Division sits within the MFDS and reviews biologics, vaccines, cell therapies, and gene therapies. It is the desk that signs off — or quietly does not — on a Cell Therapy Product application. The Division publishes guidance documents quarterly; most are bilingual, though the Korean original governs in dispute. Its workload has roughly doubled since 2021, in line with the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act's commencement. See also: MFDS, Cell Therapy Product.

Bridging Study (가교임상시험)

A bridging study is the abbreviated Korean clinical trial that allows a foreign-approved drug or biologic to demonstrate ethnic-Korean efficacy and safety without repeating the full pivotal programme. The MFDS will accept a bridging study under Article 32 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act when the foreign data are robust and the population difference is plausibly addressed. For aesthetic biologics — exosomes, certain regenerative serums — the bridging requirement is the most common bottleneck between FDA approval and Seoul market entry. See also: IND, MFDS.

C — Cell, Clinical, Cosmeceutical

The C entries cluster around what is administered and how it is studied.

Cell Therapy Product (세포치료제)

A Cell Therapy Product is a regulated category of regenerative medicine in Korea, defined under the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act as a product whose active ingredient consists of human or animal cells that have been minimally manipulated or substantially manipulated. Autologous adipose-derived stem cells, allogeneic umbilical-cord preparations, and certain dendritic-cell preparations all fall here. Approval requires the full MFDS dossier — preclinical, IND, pivotal trial, and post-marketing surveillance commitments. See also: Stem Cell Product, ATMP.

Clinical Trial Notification (임상시험계획승인)

The Clinical Trial Notification — colloquially CTN, formally IND in Korea — is the MFDS authorisation that permits a sponsor to begin a clinical study on Korean soil. The dossier includes the investigator's brochure, the protocol, IRB approval letters, manufacturing GMP certificates, and a Korean-language informed-consent template. Review typically runs 30 working days for Phase I, longer for cell and gene therapies. See also: IND, IRB.

Cosmeceutical (기능성화장품)

Cosmeceutical — 기능성화장품 in the Korean register — is a quasi-cosmetic class regulated under the Cosmetics Act, not the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. The category covers whitening, anti-wrinkle, and UV-protection claims with prescribed ingredient lists and dose ranges. It is not the same as a quasi-drug; the distinction matters at customs and at the pharmacy counter. A retinol cream marketed in Korea as 'anti-wrinkle' must hold a functional cosmetic notification, not a drug licence. See also: Quasi-drug.

CTAP (Cell Therapy Approval Pathway)

CTAP is the informal industry shorthand for the accelerated review track introduced under the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act for designated rare-disease and serious-condition cell therapies. The pathway compresses the conditional approval timeline and permits earlier patient access in exchange for rigorous post-marketing commitments. Aesthetic cell therapies are excluded — CTAP applies to oncology, neurology, and rare-disease indications. See also: Cell Therapy Product.

D — Designation, Documentation, DUR

Three terms that define institutional status and prescribing oversight.

Designated Medical Institution (지정의료기관)

A Designated Medical Institution is a clinic or hospital authorised under the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act to administer specific cell or tissue therapies under MOHW notification. Designation is granted on the basis of facility audit, staff qualification, and process validation; it is renewable every three years. Most Gangnam stem-cell clinics that legitimately offer autologous regenerative protocols hold this designation — its absence is a signal worth noticing. See also: MOHW, Advanced Regenerative Bio Act.

Drug Master File (DMF, 의약품원료등록)

A Drug Master File is a confidential dossier submitted to the MFDS by an active-pharmaceutical-ingredient manufacturer, allowing a finished-product applicant to reference the API data without disclosing proprietary chemistry. Korea adopted the DMF system in 2002 and aligned it with PIC/S in 2014. For biologics and cell therapies, the equivalent is the Master Cell Bank file. See also: PIC/S, GMP.

DUR (Drug Utilization Review, 의약품안전사용서비스)

DUR is the real-time prescription-screening system operated by HIRA that flags duplicative therapy, contraindicated combinations, and age- or pregnancy-inappropriate prescribing at the moment a Korean prescription is filled. It is integrated nationally — every pharmacy and every clinic prescription terminal queries the same database. Aesthetic clinics encounter DUR less frequently than primary care, but injectable medications still trigger it. See also: HIRA.

E — Emergency, Exosome, Extracorporeal

Three E-letter terms that surfaced significantly in the post-2020 regulatory landscape.

Emergency Use Authorisation (긴급사용승인)

Emergency Use Authorisation is the MFDS pathway, codified during the COVID-19 response, that permits temporary approval of a drug, vaccine, or device when no satisfactory alternative exists and a public-health threat is declared. It is not a permanent licence and is automatically reviewed when the emergency declaration ends. The mechanism does not extend to aesthetic therapies. See also: MFDS.

Exosome Product

An exosome product is a cell-derived extracellular-vesicle preparation marketed for its paracrine signalling content. Korea has not yet issued a final standalone regulatory framework for exosomes; products are reviewed case-by-case as either Cell Therapy Products, biologics, or — in cosmetic-only formulations — quasi-drugs. The MFDS published an exosome guidance draft in 2024 that remains under industry consultation. The category is, on first impression, more settled in Korea than elsewhere — but only just. See also: Cell Therapy Product, Quasi-drug.

Extracorporeal Device (체외진단기기)

An extracorporeal device is regulated as a medical device under the Medical Devices Act, classified Class I-IV by risk. The most aesthetically relevant subcategory is the in-vitro diagnostic — for example, blood-derived growth-factor preparation kits used adjunctively with regenerative protocols. Class designation governs the approval timeline and the post-market surveillance obligation. See also: Medical Device Class I-IV.

F-H — Foreign Patients, Manufacturing, Insurance Review

The middle alphabet covers cross-border patient flow, three quality-system acronyms, and the body that decides what insurance pays.

Foreign Patient Attraction Registration (외국인환자 유치 등록)

Foreign Patient Attraction Registration is the MOHW licence required for any Korean clinic, hospital, or facilitator that markets to international patients. Registration is renewed annually, requires malpractice-insurance coverage, and obliges the holder to report patient volumes to KHIDI. The registration number — A-YYYY-MM-DD-NNNNN format — appears in the footer of compliant clinic websites. Its absence is a meaningful signal. See also: KHIDI, MOHW.

GCP, GLP, GMP (Korean variants)

GCP (Good Clinical Practice), GLP (Good Laboratory Practice), and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) are the three quality-management standards governing clinical trials, preclinical studies, and manufacturing respectively. Korea's KGMP was harmonised with PIC/S in 2014, and KGCP is broadly aligned with ICH E6(R2). For cell therapies, an additional cell-processing GMP annex applies; KFDA inspections — as the body was historically called — are unannounced and detailed. See also: KGMP, PIC/S.

HIRA (Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 건강보험심사평가원)

HIRA is the agency that reviews National Health Insurance claims, sets reimbursement codes, and operates the DUR system. It does not approve drugs — that is MFDS — but it determines whether an approved drug is reimbursed. For aesthetic medicine, most procedures are non-reimbursed (비급여), placing them outside HIRA's pricing oversight; documentation, however, still flows through HIRA codes for tax purposes. See also: DUR, MFDS.

I-K — Institutional Review, Korean Acronyms

The I-K cluster contains the most commonly cited acronyms in Korean regulatory affairs.

IND (Investigational New Drug, 임상시험계획승인신청)

An IND is the MFDS authorisation to administer an unapproved drug, biologic, or cell therapy to humans within a regulated clinical trial. The Korean IND borrows its name from the FDA equivalent but operates under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act. Submission requires preclinical safety data, manufacturing GMP evidence, and an IRB-approved protocol. Review timelines run 30 working days standard, 14 for fast-track indications. See also: Clinical Trial Notification, IRB.

Institutional Review Board (IRB, 임상시험심사위원회)

An IRB is the ethics committee that reviews and approves a clinical-trial protocol within a Korean designated medical institution. Composition rules require at least one non-scientific member and one external member; meeting minutes are auditable by the MFDS. IRB approval is a prerequisite — not a substitute — for the IND. For multicentre trials, a central IRB model has been permitted since 2018. See also: IND.

KFDA (Korea Food and Drug Administration)

KFDA is the legacy name for what became the MFDS in 2013. The agency was elevated from a sub-ministerial body to a vice-ministerial Ministry-level entity, reflecting the strategic importance Seoul assigned to pharmaceutical and medical-device regulation. Foreign-language documents and older citations frequently still use 'KFDA'; the institutional continuity is direct. See also: MFDS.

KGMP (Korean Good Manufacturing Practice)

KGMP is the Korean GMP standard administered by the MFDS and harmonised with PIC/S since 2014. It governs facility design, process validation, batch release, and stability testing for finished pharmaceutical products manufactured for the Korean market. A foreign manufacturer exporting to Korea must hold either a KGMP certificate or an equivalent recognised by mutual-recognition agreement. See also: GMP, PIC/S.

KHIDI (Korea Health Industry Development Institute, 한국보건산업진흥원)

KHIDI is the public agency under MOHW that promotes Korea's medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries internationally. It administers the Foreign Patient Attraction Registration, publishes annual medical-tourism statistics, and operates Medical Korea — the official portal for international patients. KHIDI is the source most often quoted in editorial work; its statistics are reliable, public, and updated quarterly. See also: MOHW, Foreign Patient Attraction Registration.

K-MSD (Korea Medical Service Designation)

K-MSD is an informal industry term for clinic-level designations granted under various MOHW notifications — including specialty hospital, designated medical institution for regenerative medicine, and foreign patient attraction. The acronym is not a single statute but a useful umbrella when describing a clinic's regulatory portfolio. See also: Specialty Hospital Designation.

KoNECT (Korea National Enterprise for Clinical Trials)

KoNECT is the public-private body that coordinates Korea's clinical-trial infrastructure, training, and international partnerships. It is funded by MOHW and partners with KHIDI on cross-border trial recruitment. KoNECT does not approve trials — that is MFDS — but it operates the trial-readiness directories that international sponsors most often consult. See also: MOHW, KHIDI.

M — The Two Ministries

The M cluster contains the two most consequential acronyms in Korean health regulation, together with the device-class framework.

MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, 식품의약품안전처)

MFDS is the Korean regulatory authority for pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, cosmetics, and food. Established in 1996 as KFDA and elevated to ministry-level in 2013, MFDS reports directly to the Prime Minister rather than to MOHW — a structural detail that grants it independence from health-policy pressure. The MFDS issues drug approvals, GMP certificates, INDs, medical-device classifications, and post-marketing surveillance directives. See: mfds.go.kr.

MOHW (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 보건복지부)

MOHW is the cabinet-level ministry responsible for health policy, the National Health Insurance, the Medical Service Act, and the Foreign Patient Attraction programme. MOHW does not approve drugs — that is MFDS — but it issues the notifications that determine how approved products may be used in clinical practice, and it sets the conditions under which clinics may treat international patients. See: mohw.go.kr.

Medical Device Class I-IV (의료기기 등급)

Korean medical devices are classified by risk: Class I (minimal risk, notification only), Class II (low-moderate, premarket approval with clinical evaluation), Class III (moderate-high, premarket approval with clinical trial typically required), and Class IV (high risk, full clinical evidence). Aesthetic energy-based devices — HIFU, RF, laser — typically fall in Class II or III. Class assignment determines approval timeline, post-market obligation, and inspection frequency. See also: MFDS.

N-Q — Specialised Bodies and Categories

The N-Q cluster covers research bodies, prescribing concepts, surveillance, and the quasi-drug category that recurs in aesthetic-product marketing.

NIFDS (National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation)

NIFDS is the research arm of the MFDS, conducting the technical evaluations that underpin drug, device, and food-safety approvals. Its laboratories perform reference testing, batch sampling, and method validation. For cell-therapy applicants, NIFDS is the body that physically tests submitted master cell banks against release specifications. See also: MFDS.

Notification (KCD code, 한국표준질병사인분류)

The Korean Standard Classification of Diseases — KCD — is the diagnostic coding system used in claims, prescriptions, and clinical documentation. KCD-8 is the current edition, harmonised with WHO ICD-10 with Korean-specific extensions. Aesthetic procedures are typically coded under non-reimbursed procedural categories, but accompanying medical conditions still attract KCD codes for tax and record-keeping purposes. See also: HIRA.

Off-label Use (허가초과 사용)

Off-label use is the prescribing of an MFDS-approved drug for an indication, dose, route, or population other than that on the approved label. Korean physicians retain prescribing autonomy, but off-label use must be documented, justified, and — for non-reimbursed cosmetic indications — explicitly disclosed to the patient. Botulinum toxin for masseter reduction is the most familiar Gangnam example; its label indication is glabellar lines. See also: MFDS.

OTC (Over-the-Counter, 일반의약품)

OTC drugs are the general-sales medications dispensed without prescription by Korean pharmacies. The category was expanded in 2012 to include certain analgesics, cold preparations, and digestive aids in convenience-store-style outlets. Aesthetic injectables, biologics, and prescription topicals remain firmly prescription-only. See also: MFDS.

PMS (Post-Marketing Surveillance, 시판후조사)

Post-Marketing Surveillance is the four- or six-year obligation imposed on the holder of a new-drug or new-biologic licence to collect real-world safety and effectiveness data after launch. The MFDS reviews PMS submissions and may revise the label, restrict the indication, or — in rare cases — withdraw the approval. PMS commitments are particularly heavy for cell therapies and biologics. See also: PV, RWE.

PIC/S (Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme)

PIC/S is the international harmonisation body for pharmaceutical GMP inspection. Korea joined in 2014 — a detail that materially expanded the export reach of Korean-manufactured biologics and cosmetics, because PIC/S membership streamlines mutual GMP recognition with EU, UK, Australian, and Canadian regulators. The KGMP standard is functionally equivalent to PIC/S GMP. See also: GMP, KGMP.

PV (Pharmacovigilance, 약물감시)

Pharmacovigilance is the systematic collection, evaluation, and reporting of adverse drug reactions during a product's marketed life. Korean PV obligations are administered through the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management (KIDS), which operates the national adverse-event reporting database. Healthcare professionals, marketing-authorisation holders, and — voluntarily — patients may submit reports. See also: PMS.

Quasi-drug (의약외품)

Quasi-drug is the regulated category for products that sit between drugs and cosmetics — items such as wet wipes with antiseptic claims, contact-lens-care solutions, and certain hair-loss preventatives. Quasi-drugs are notified rather than approved, with prescribed ingredient lists and labelling rules under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. The category does not include cell or tissue products. See also: Cosmeceutical.

R-U — Risk, Real-World Evidence, Stem Cells, Tissues

The R-U cluster closes the glossary on risk frameworks, the most relevant cell categories, and the disclosure obligation that recurs in aesthetic prescribing.

Risk-based Classification (위해성기반 등급분류)

Risk-based classification is the regulatory principle, applied across drugs, devices, and cell therapies, that calibrates review intensity to the probability and severity of harm. For cell therapies, the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act distinguishes high-risk (substantially manipulated, allogeneic, non-homologous use) from low-risk preparations; the former requires full IND and pivotal trial, the latter may qualify for a notification pathway. See also: Cell Therapy Product.

RWE (Real-World Evidence, 실사용증거)

Real-World Evidence is clinical data collected outside a controlled trial — typically from electronic health records, registries, or insurance claims — and used to support regulatory decisions. The MFDS issued an RWE guidance in 2022, accepting RWE for label expansions, post-marketing safety, and certain orphan indications. Aesthetic medicine generates abundant RWE, though most of it sits in private clinic registries rather than regulator-accessible databases. See also: PMS.

Stem Cell Product (줄기세포치료제)

A Stem Cell Product is a subcategory of Cell Therapy Product whose active ingredient consists of stem cells — autologous or allogeneic, adult or perinatal, with or without ex-vivo expansion. Korea has approved stem-cell products in osteoarthritis, knee cartilage repair, and certain rare diseases; aesthetic and longevity applications are administered under designated-institution licences rather than full marketing approval. The distinction matters at consultation. See also: Cell Therapy Product, Designated Medical Institution.

Specialty Hospital Designation (전문병원)

Specialty Hospital Designation is the MOHW notification that recognises a hospital for excellence in a specific clinical area — joints, breast cancer, paediatrics. Designation is awarded for three-year terms based on volume, outcome, and staffing criteria. The designation is not commonly held by Gangnam aesthetic clinics — which typically operate as outpatient clinics rather than hospitals — but it appears on partner-network rosters. See also: MOHW.

Tissue Engineering Product (조직공학제제)

A Tissue Engineering Product is the third regenerative-medicine category under the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act, alongside Cell Therapy and Gene Therapy Products. It covers scaffolds, decellularised matrices, and engineered cartilage or skin equivalents. Approval requires biocompatibility, mechanical, and clinical-outcome data. The category is small in Korea — fewer than ten approved products as of 2025 — but expanding. See also: Advanced Regenerative Bio Act, ATMP.

Unapproved Use Disclosure (허가외 사용 동의)

Unapproved Use Disclosure is the consent obligation, codified under MOHW notification, that requires a clinician to inform a patient — in writing — when a procedure or product is being used off-label or under a designated-institution exception rather than under a full marketing approval. The disclosure must specify the regulatory status, the rationale, and the patient's right to refuse. For aesthetic regenerative protocols, the disclosure is the document that converts an editorial conversation into a legally documented one. See also: Off-label Use, Designated Medical Institution.

Frequently asked questions

Is the MFDS the same as the KFDA?

Functionally yes, structurally elevated. The Korea Food and Drug Administration was renamed and promoted to ministry-level status in 2013, becoming the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Older citations and international correspondence still occasionally use 'KFDA'; the institutional continuity, mandate, and regulatory authority are direct. When a foreign sponsor speaks of 'KFDA approval' today, they are almost always describing an MFDS marketing authorisation.

Who actually approves a stem-cell therapy in Korea — MFDS or MOHW?

Both, in sequence. The MFDS approves the Cell Therapy Product itself — the molecule, the manufacturing, the clinical evidence — under the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act. The MOHW then issues the notifications and designations that determine which clinics may administer it, under what conditions, and to which patient populations. A clinic without MOHW designation cannot legally administer even an MFDS-approved cell product.

Why does Article 56(4) of the Medical Service Act matter for foreign-language editorial?

Because it applies to clinics under the jurisdiction of Korean medical law regardless of the language in which their marketing appears. A Hong Kong reader browsing an English-language Korean clinic page is reading content governed by Article 56(4) — categorical comparisons of energy modalities are permitted, named comparisons of competing clinics are not. The editorial register adapts; the legal floor does not.

Are exosome products approved in Korea?

Selectively, and the framework is still maturing. The MFDS reviews exosome products case-by-case under existing categories — Cell Therapy Product, biologic, or quasi-drug — pending a final standalone guidance, of which a draft has been in industry consultation since 2024. Reputable Gangnam clinics that offer exosome adjuncts hold the relevant designated-institution authority and disclose the regulatory status under the Unapproved Use Disclosure rules.

What is the practical difference between a designated medical institution and a specialty hospital?

Scope and statute. A Designated Medical Institution is authorised under the Advanced Regenerative Bio Act to administer specific cell or tissue therapies — a narrow, product-tied permission. A Specialty Hospital is recognised under broader MOHW criteria for clinical excellence in a defined area. The two designations are independent; a clinic may hold one, both, or neither, and the absence of either is not by itself a regulatory failing — only a signal worth weighing.

Which agency publishes the medical-tourism statistics most commonly cited in editorial?

KHIDI — the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. Its annual Statistics on International Patients report, published in Korean and English, is the source for foreign-patient volumes by nationality, treatment category, and region. KHIDI also operates the Medical Korea portal and administers the Foreign Patient Attraction Registration. The data are public, updated quarterly in summary form, and reliable enough for editorial citation.

Does the MFDS recognise FDA or EMA approvals automatically?

Not automatically — but it recognises the data, subject to bridging study requirements where ethnic-Korean efficacy or safety differences are plausible. A foreign-approved biologic typically requires either a small Korean bridging study or a justification dossier explaining why Korean data are unnecessary. The pathway is faster than a full Korean development programme but slower than direct mutual recognition. PIC/S membership has narrowed the GMP-inspection gap considerably since 2014.

Where can a reader verify a Korean clinic's regulatory status independently?

Three sources are most useful. The MFDS drug and device search portal — searchable in English — confirms approved products and their licence holders. The KHIDI Medical Korea portal lists clinics holding Foreign Patient Attraction Registration. And the MOHW notifications archive — Korean only, but accessible — publishes designated-institution lists by therapy category. A clinic registration number in the format A-YYYY-MM-DD-NNNNN is the consumer-facing fingerprint of compliance.