'I want Jeon Jong-seo's hips': The body-contouring surgery taking hold among women in their 20s and 30s

A body-contouring procedure that slims the waist while adding volume to the hips is gaining popularity among young women in South Korea, fueled in part by admiration for the figure of actor Jeon Jong-seo. The latest iteration of the trend is a procedure known as "heopagori" — a surgery that removes fat from the abdomen and flanks and transfers it to the hips and buttocks.

The name "heopagori" is a portmanteau meaning "dig out the waist, lift the hips." The procedure involves liposuction of the abdomen and love handles, with the extracted fat then injected into the hips and buttocks. The goal is to create a narrower waist while filling in "hip dips" — the inward curves between the hip bone and thigh — for a smoother, fuller silhouette.

Hip dips are a natural anatomical feature that can appear on anyone, affecting an estimated 80 to 90 percent of women. However, many women find that pronounced hip dips affect how clothes fit and make the body's contour appear less smooth.

Demand for procedures to address this has been rising sharply. Data from 365mc, a clinic group specializing in obesity treatment and liposuction with locations in Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu and Busan, showed that the number of heopagori procedures — in which fat harvested from the abdomen or thighs is transferred to the hips — jumped from 112 cases in 2023 to 1,586 in 2025, a roughly 14.2-fold increase.

"Because weight loss occurs throughout the entire body, it is difficult to selectively reduce fat in a specific area or, conversely, to maintain volume in a particular spot," 365mc said. "Particularly in recent months, demand has grown not only for hip fat transfers but also for autologous fat grafting to the chest to create a more natural volume."

Videos sharing personal experiences with the heopagori procedure have also been appearing on YouTube. In one video, a YouTuber said she had spent two years deliberating before finally going through with the surgery after seeing a friend's successful results. "Surprisingly, quite a few people with already great figures — including influencers — have had this done," she said.

She added that she had waited about a month for an appointment at a popular clinic. "It took about an hour to extract the fat from the love handles and another hour to transfer it to the hips. It was the most painful procedure of my life," she said. She went on to say that despite no change in her weight, her lower abdomen had visibly flattened — an outcome she described as satisfying.

Reviews of the procedure also appear in online communities dedicated to cosmetic surgery. One user cited Jeon's physique as her inspiration, writing that she had long admired the actor's dress fit and hip line before deciding to undergo hip fat transfer surgery. "Because of my hip dips, I could never really pull off H-line skirts," she wrote. "After the surgery, I can wear the clothes I want, and I'm happy with the result."

However, because heopagori combines liposuction and fat grafting, it carries potential risks. The liposuction phase can lead to bleeding, infection or uneven skin texture, while the grafting phase may result in asymmetry or volume changes depending on how well the transferred fat survives. In rare cases, fat can enter the bloodstream and cause fat embolism, a serious complication that requires caution.

A plastic surgeon warned that the chest and buttocks are particularly difficult areas for fat grafting because of the large volumes involved. "The fat can remain in an oily state and trigger inflammation or fat necrosis," the surgeon said. The surgeon added that while patients often feel satisfied with the initial volume, some experience distress as the transferred fat sags over time. "There are also patients who complain that the skin has become lumpy and uneven," the surgeon said.

Experts advise anyone considering body-contouring surgery not to base their decision solely on online reviews or before-and-after photos, but to thoroughly assess their own body type, overall health, the surgical method involved and the potential for side effects.