I Tried Ear Seeding in Seoul | Here’s My Honest Take on Ri& Clinic in Myeongdong

I couldn’t escape ear seeding in Korea — it was literally everywhere online. So after weeks of curiosity, I finally decided to find out what the hype was actually about.

I’ll be honest — when a tiny metal seed was carefully pressed onto my ear with tweezers, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

But I did specifically choose to go to a traditional Korean medicine clinic with a qualified practitioner for my ear seeding in Seoul experience, because I was looking for real healing and wellness vs the latest viral K-beauty moment.

Here’s what I discovered.

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What is Ear Seeding?

Ear seeding is a needle-free form of acupressure rooted in a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) called auriculotherapy.

It’s an ancient practice – literally thousands of years old, that’s based on the idea that the ear is a microcosm of the entire body. It’s kind of similar to Reflexology, where different points on your foot correspond to various organs or parts of the body – except these pressure points are on the ear.

The points on your ear with more discomfort or pain are typically considered to correlate with “problem” areas inside your body. These could be physical symptoms like stomach ache or nausea, or wellness issues like insomnia, anxiety, or general stress.

During ear seeding treatments in Korea, tiny seeds made from metal, ceramic, or even traditional Vaccaria plants, are used to stimulate specific pressure points on the ear, with the goal of rebalancing energy meridians, and reducing the connected anxiety, pain, or stress in the body and mind.

Ear Seeding in Korea

KTM or Korean Traditional Medicine follows many of the same tenets of TCM, so it makes sense that traditional medicine clinics in Seoul would also offer these types of ear seeding treatments.

Not surprisingly though, Korean ear seeding thus far, has taken a decidedly beauty twist, with K-pop idols and actresses using ear seeds as a K-beauty hack to manage stress, snatch the jawline, and promote general wellness.

Still – whether you try ear seeding therapy in Seoul for beauty or health concerns, the most important thing to note is that accurate placement of the ear seeds is vitally important. I don’t exactly trust myself to hit the right points. Do you?

Careful diagnosis and consultation with a qualified traditional medicine practitioner at a Korean medicine clinic or haniwon (한의원) is definitely the best way to try ear seeding in Seoul, if you want real results.

What are the Benefits of Ear Seeding?

Honestly… there hasn’t been much research into the benefits of ear seeding, with most of the evidence being anecdotal, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. It just means it hasn’t been studied enough.

I will say that in the ear seeding studies that HAVE been done, benefits included reductions in chronic lower back pain and cholesterol, improved sleep, and increased levels of serotonin, resulting in less markers for depression. It’s even been shown to help with labour pain!

Acupuncture and other therapies that deal with energetic meridians tend to be dismissed as “alternative” practices in the West, but in Korea and other parts of Asia, these are fully covered under public health care as viable medical treatments. Let’s just say I was more than willing to give it a try!

On the other hand, if you’re traveling, and looking to access beauty treatments in Korea, without the downtime associated with lasers or needles, ear seeding in Seoul could be a great option. It’s a completely non-invasive way to relax muscles in the jaw and face, drain the lymphatic system, and reduce facial puffiness.

Where to Try Ear Seeding in Seoul?

On the surface, ear seeding looks deceptively simple.

In fact, social media is completely awash with reels about it right now, showing off instant results in facial asymmetry and lifting.

The jury is still out on whether this is just a passing K-beauty fad or real results, but what’s definitely true is that the correct placement of the seeds has a direct impact on the effectiveness of your treatment. And for that expertise, you’d need to go to a certified KTM doctor who’s actually studied the ear reflexology map, and understands how everything connects.

Personally, I was much more interested in getting an actual physical assessment and proper placement of ear seeds from a traditional medicine doctor vs randomly attaching stickers to my ears, in the hopes of getting what I needed.

And though you can try ear seeding at pretty much any traditional Korean medicine clinic in Seoul, it’s actually really difficult to access them because of the language barrier. I speak decent Korean, but still had a lot of trouble locating a good place to try ear seeding in Seoul.

I think this is because at most haniwon in Korea, it isn’t even on the list of treatments offered. They might do it, but it’s treated more like an extra service, in addition to the acupunture, cupping, or Chuna sessions you might already be having.

Finding a haniwon in Seoul that actually has real expertise in ear seeding therapy, AND offers foreigner friendly service is another ballgame altogether.

And that’s why I ended up going to Ri& Clinic in Myeongdong. It’s currently the ONLY traditional Korean medicine clinic that’s offering specialized ear seeding treatments in Seoul, that are easy to find and book.

What happened during my Ear Seeding Treatment at Ri& Clinic in Seoul?

My Korean ear seeding treatment at Ri& Clinic in Seoul was completely intentional. This wasn’t just a relaxing experience, but a targeted placement of ear seeds in response to personalized testing. Absolutely nothing was left to chance.

We started with an RSA test or Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia test. It measures how your heart rate changes as you breathe in and out.

From it, the KTM doctor is able to get a clear picture of how balanced your autonomic nervous system is — essentially, how your body deals with stress and recovery.

We went over the results, and had an in-person consultation, where we discussed the areas I wanted to address.

Ri& Clinic has an english translator on-site, and the doctor also speaks some english too… meaning there were zero issues with clear communication, which is so important when dealing with health issues.

Once we decided what we wanted to address, the traditional medicine doctor used a pressure probe to identify the specific points on my ear that corresponded to my body’s weaker areas, marked them with a medical pen, and then went on to apply the ear seed stickers.

Some spots were definitely much more painful than others, and I let out a little squeal when the ear seed was applied (and trust me – I am typically pretty stoic when it comes to pain. I mean, I did not even cry from Rejuran injections!).

I was advised to leave the ear seeds on for at least 3 days, and up to a week if I could. The painful spots stayed that way for a few days, but gradually over time – the pain faded away.

I can’t say 100% that it was because of the ear seeding treatment in Seoul, but I did notice more ease in my digestion, and an overall feeling of “lightness” in my body.

But what I actually loved most about the ear seeding treatment at RI& Clinic was that nothing was left to chance. Every single ear seed had a reason for being exactly where it was.

And… as an added bonus – they looked more like sparkly earrings than a traditional Korean medicine treatment!

Other Treatments at Ri& Clinic in Seoul

Ri& Clinic is a full service Korean traditional medicine clinic, so ear seeding isn’t the only treatment to try.

They’re able to treat a huge range of health issues, including TMJ, posture and pain problems, scalp and hair loss care, menopausal symptoms, and much, much more. They even have a K-beauty clinic, where you can do thread lifts, post-surgery care, and double chin sculpting.

Treatment options include acupuncture, diet and detox supplements, chuna, cupping, pharmacopuncture, and various herbal remedies.

Traditional Fire Cupping | 불부항

I’m constantly struggling with a super tight neck and shoulders, so I also tried traditional fire cupping while I was at Ri& Clinic.

This is a traditional Korean medicine method that uses actual flames to heat glass or ceramic cups to create the necessary vacuum suction on the skin. It’s meant to enhance blood circulation, reduce pain, relax muscles, and remove toxins.

During the fire cupping treatment, the doctor heated each individual cup, and placed it on my back quickly.

This was my first time trying this type of cupping, and I found the suction to be much stronger compared to other cupping.

After all the ceramic cups were placed on my back, I was left for about 15 minutes, so they could do their work. I wouldn’t exactly call the process painful, but it was definitely a little uncomfortable.

When the time was up, they popped each cup off, and I was left with a series of circular bruises on my back. The darker coloured ones are where the blood flow is the weakest.

How to Get to Ri& Clinic in Myeongdong

Address: Myeongdong 8ga-gil, 27, 9th floor, Sunshine building | 서울 중구 명동8가길 27, 9F

If you’re staying in the Myeongdong area, Ri& Korean Medicine Clinic is incredibly convenient to get to. You could probably walk to the clinic from pretty much any hotel in the area in under 10 minutes.

And while Google Maps is supposed to start working in Korea eventually, it’s still currently easiest to use Naver or Kakao Maps for accurate walking directions. Make sure you download that before arriving in Seoul.

If you’re not staying in Myeongdong, the closest subway station to Ri& Clinic is Myeongdong Station. Use Exit 8 or 9, and walk for less than 5 minutes and you’ll be at the clinic.

Ri& Clinic is located on the 9th floor of the Sunshine Building. You can’t miss it, because it’s in the same building as the Roof Cat Me Cat Cafe. You’ll find the entrance up to the 9th floor on the side of the building, not the front.