Five dentists practise here. Below is where each of them qualified, where they trained abroad, and what their Korean specialist titles mean, because those titles do not map neatly onto the ones you know at home.
Dr. Hyun Sung Park – Clinic Director
One of the two brothers who founded the practice, and joint director of the clinic. Trained at Seoul National University and its dental hospital, with further study in endodontics and implant dentistry in Korea and the United States.
- Licensed dentist, Republic of Korea
- School of Dentistry, Seoul National University
- Master’s degree, Graduate School of Dentistry, Seoul National University
- Formerly, Department of General Dentistry, Seoul National University Dental Hospital
Further training and academic membership
- Microendodontics Programme, Seoul National University
- Course completion, UCLA, USA
- Member, University of Pennsylvania Endodontics Study Club, USA
- Osstem Implant AIC Programme
- Dentium Implant Advanced Course
- Certified Invisalign Provider
- Member, International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
- Member, International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI)
- Member, Korean Academy of Implant Dentistry
- Member, Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
- Member, Korean Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
- Member, Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry
Dr. Hyeonjoon Park – Clinic Director
The other founding brother, and joint director of the clinic. Orthodontic treatment here is handled by Dr. Hyeonjoon Park, who also holds an Affiliate Associate Fellowship of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
- Licensed dentist, Republic of Korea
- School of Dentistry, Seoul National University
- Master’s degree, Graduate School of Dentistry, Seoul National University
- Formerly, Department of General Dentistry, Seoul National University Dental Hospital
- Formerly, director of the Sinan-gun public oral health care programme
Further training and academic membership
- Affiliate Associate Fellow, American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID)
- Microendodontics Programme, Seoul National University
- Course completion, UCLA, USA
- Member, University of Pennsylvania Endodontics Study Club, USA
- Certified Invisalign Provider
- Dentium Implant Advanced Course
- Member, International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
- Member, International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI)
- Member, Korean Academy of Implant Dentistry
- Member, Seoul Prime Orthodontic Study Club
- Member, Gaya Prosthodontic Study Club
- Member, Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
- Member, Korean Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
- Member, Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry
Dr. Yu Jin Kim – Dentist
Certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a specialist in Advanced General Dentistry, with an undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University in the United States and hospital experience in both Korea and Japan.
- Licensed dentist, Republic of Korea
- Board-certified specialist in Advanced General Dentistry (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea)
- Johns Hopkins University, USA
- Master’s degree, Graduate School of Dentistry, Seoul National University
- Formerly, Osaka University Dental Hospital, Japan
- Formerly, Department of General Dentistry, Seoul National University Dental Hospital
- Formerly, director of the Pohang Nam-gu public oral health care programme
Further training and academic membership
- Certified provider, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) stimulation therapy
- Osstem Implant AIC Programme
- Dentalbean Endodontics Course
- Member, Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Implantology
- Member, Korean Academy of Esthetic Dentistry
Dr. Min Ji Choi – Dentist
Holds two Ministry-issued specialist certifications – Conservative Dentistry and Advanced General Dentistry – and completed a full internship and residency at a university dental hospital. Root canal treatment and restorative work usually go to a dentist with this training.
- Licensed dentist, Republic of Korea
- Board-certified specialist in Conservative Dentistry (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea)
- Board-certified specialist in Advanced General Dentistry (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea)
- School of Dentistry, Wonkwang University
- Master’s degree in Conservative Dentistry, Jeonbuk National University Graduate School of Dentistry
- Internship and residency, Jeonbuk National University Dental Hospital
Research and academic membership
- Published in the International Endodontic Journal (SCI-indexed), 2021
- Oral presentation award, Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry, spring 2020
- Poster award, Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry, autumn 2020
- Member, Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry
Dr. Jin Young Choi – Dentist
Certified by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a specialist in Advanced General Dentistry, with clinical training at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, in Canada. An undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature at Korea University came before dentistry.
- Licensed dentist, Republic of Korea
- Board-certified specialist in Advanced General Dentistry (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea)
- Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature, Korea University
- Master’s degree, Graduate School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University
- Clinical training, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Canada
Further training
- Endodontics Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, USA
- Dentalbean Endodontics Seminar
- Fixed Prosthodontics Seminar, Gaya Prosthodontic Study Club
Training and study outside Korea
If you are weighing up treatment abroad, it is reasonable to ask whether the dentist has ever worked in a system like the one you know. Between them, the five dentists here have studied or trained in the United States, Canada and Japan.
- United States – Johns Hopkins University (Dr. Yu Jin Kim, undergraduate degree); course completion at UCLA and membership of the University of Pennsylvania Endodontics Study Club (both directors); an endodontics seminar at the University of Pennsylvania (Dr. Jin Young Choi); Affiliate Associate Fellowship of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (Dr. Hyeonjoon Park)
- Canada – clinical training at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia (Dr. Jin Young Choi)
- Japan – Osaka University Dental Hospital (Dr. Yu Jin Kim)
Your consultation, treatment plan, costs and aftercare instructions are given to you in English regardless of which dentist you see.
What the Korean specialist titles mean
Korea certifies dental specialists through the Ministry of Health and Welfare after several years of hospital residency and a national examination. The titles are not the same as the ones used in the US, the UK or Australia, so here is the translation.
- Conservative Dentistry (치과보존과) – the specialty that covers fillings, inlays, root canal treatment and rebuilding damaged teeth. The closest equivalents elsewhere are restorative dentistry and endodontics.
- Advanced General Dentistry (통합치의학과) – a Korean specialty recognised since 2019 for dentists who complete accredited advanced training across the main areas of general dental care rather than in one narrow field.
Where a dentist above is not listed with a specialist certification, they hold a Korean dental licence and a graduate degree in dentistry, which is what Korean law requires to diagnose and treat. A Korean dental licence is issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare after a national examination; a specialist certification is a separate, legally protected title that requires several further years of hospital residency and a second examination.
One more distinction worth knowing, because it is where credential lists in any country get slippery: Member above means membership of an academy or study club, Fellow means a fellowship awarded by that body, and a named programme or course means exactly that – a course completed, not a qualification earned. We have kept those three apart rather than blending them into one list of impressive-looking lines.
How to check any of this
Every line on this page comes from the clinic’s own records and is stated as fact, not as a claim about results. Korean dental licences and specialist certifications are registered with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the clinic is separately registered as a medical institution permitted to treat international patients (registration number M-2024-08-05-0127, issued by Gyeonggi Province and valid through 14 March 2027, shown in the footer of every page here).
If a particular credential matters to your decision, ask us and we will give you the registration details you need to check it yourself.
What you will not find on this page, deliberately: superlatives such as “leading” or “top-rated”, promises about how your treatment will turn out, and patient testimonials. Korean medical advertising law restricts all three, and we would rather be checkable than impressive.
Frequently asked questions
Will I be treated in English?
Yes. Your examination findings, treatment options and costs are explained in English before you agree to anything, and your aftercare instructions are given in English too.
What does “board-certified specialist” mean in Korea?
It is a certification issued by the Ministry of Health and Welfare after a dentist completes a multi-year hospital residency and passes a national specialty examination. It is a legally protected title, not a course certificate.
Can I ask to see a particular dentist?
Yes. Tell us when you book and we will schedule you with them where their clinic hours allow it.
Which dentist will handle my treatment?
It depends on what your examination finds. Root canal and restorative work usually goes to a dentist certified in conservative dentistry; orthodontic cases are handled by Dr. Hyeonjoon Park. We tell you who will treat you as part of the written treatment plan.
Why does the clinic have twin directors?
The two directors, Dr. Hyun Sung Park and Dr. Hyeonjoon Park, are twin brothers who studied dentistry together at Seoul National University and now run the clinic jointly.
Are the dentists’ credentials verifiable?
Yes. Korean dental licences and specialist certifications are registered with the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Ask us and we will give you the details you need to check them.
Have any of the dentists trained outside Korea?
Yes. Dr. Yu Jin Kim took an undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University in the United States and later worked at Osaka University Dental Hospital in Japan. Dr. Jin Young Choi trained clinically at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, in Canada. Both directors completed a course at UCLA and belong to the University of Pennsylvania Endodontics Study Club.
Which of the dentists work with implants?
Both directors. Dr. Hyeonjoon Park holds an Affiliate Associate Fellowship of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, and both are members of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and the Korean Academy of Implant Dentistry. Which dentist takes your case still depends on what the examination finds.
Is the clinic registered to treat international patients?
Yes. The Seoul Dental is a registered medical institution for foreign patients under Korea’s Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of Foreign Patients, registration number M-2024-08-05-0127, issued by Gyeonggi Province and valid through 14 March 2027. That registration is a legal requirement in Korea for treating international patients, and it is separate from the dentists’ own licences.
Related treatments
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