On the 25th, in front of a growth clinic in Seocho District, Seoul. A 10-year-old girl surnamed Park came out after finishing a consultation with her grandmother. The grandmother repeatedly told her granddaughter, "This time, don't skip it and make sure to get the shot properly." In the grandmother's hand was a blue insulated bag holding a growth hormone injector.
A 9-year-old boy surnamed Kim also left the growth clinic with his mother, pressing firmly on his left arm. Kim had a blood test that day to get a prescription for a growth hormone shot. Kim's mother said, "We waited two months to be seen because they said they were good at giving the height shot."
Demand is growing for growth hormone injections, also called height shots. The phenomenon of "heightflation" (height + inflation), in which the average height increases compared with past generations, is cited as the reason. However, there are also many concerns that indiscriminately giving growth hormone injections to children on a normal growth trajectory can bring side effects.
◇ Growth hormone prescriptions jump twofold
On the 26th, we called a growth clinic in Seocho District, Seoul, to inquire about an appointment. They offered April as the earliest date. When asked if there was anything sooner, the response was, "We're already fully booked."
An office worker, identified as A, 45, who recently visited another growth clinic with a child, also said, "We waited about two months to get the tests." A added, "The doctor said it would be better to watch for about a year, so we plan to go back next year."
The growth hormone boom is also evident in statistics. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), the number of prescriptions for growth hormone for minors under 19 jumped from 895,011 in 2020 to 1,621,154 in 2024, nearly doubling. During the same period, the prescription amount also increased about 2.6 times, from about 59.7 billion won to 159.3 billion won.
Heightflation, with the average height steadily increasing, underpins the popularity of growth hormone. According to health checkup statistics from the National Health Insurance Service, as of 2024 the average height for those under 19 is 174.23 centimeters for males and 161.86 centimeters for females. That is up 0.82 centimeters and 0.87 centimeters, respectively, from 2015, 10 years ago.
The gap is larger in detail. In the past 10 years (2016–2025), the share of conscription exam results under 171 centimeters fell from 33.7% in 2016 to 27% in 2025. During the same period, the proportion in the 176–180.9 centimeter range rose from 22.6% to 26.1%, and the 181–185.9 centimeter share also increased from 8% to 10.8% over the decade.
◇ "Everyone in the family is in the 160-centimeter range, but I'm alone at 180 centimeters"
Parents met at the growth clinic all said "height is competitiveness." They also said it is well worth it, even though growth hormone injections alone cost 700,000–800,000 won a month, and topping that with diet and exercise prescriptions pushes the price over 1 million won.
One mother said, "If my child can grow even 1 centimeter more, that's a gain." Another mother said, "My child is quite good-looking," adding, "They might be able to become an entertainer later, so we decided to get (growth hormone injections)."
Many also say they have seen the effects of growth hormone injections. A 22-year-old surnamed Kim, who lives in Gwanak District, Seoul, received growth hormone injections for two years at age 14. Kim said, "The men in my family are in the 160-centimeter range, but I'm the only one who got the shots and my height is over 180 centimeters."
A 37-year-old surnamed Lee, who lives in Yongsan District, Seoul, also had a 6-year-old son receive shots for two years. As a result, he grew 15 centimeters, rising from the bottom 3% to 24%. Lee explained, "I was bullied by taller and bigger peers when I was young, so I thought it would be good for my child to get growth hormone."
◇ "No-questions-asked prescriptions" even within the "normal range"
The problem is that there are cases of growth hormone injections being overprescribed without proper testing. On the 25th, all three growth clinics we visited for counseling guided us to the effect that "we can prescribe even if growth hormone levels are within the normal range."
In particular, A Growth Clinic even posted a video on its YouTube channel titled "Taller men, earn more. A sad reality in Korean society." The video highlighted the importance of height by citing a paper that found each additional centimeter of height raises hourly wages by 1.5%.
Experts advised that growth hormone injections should be prescribed only when needed. That includes cases where height is in the bottom 3% for the same age and sex, where there is growth hormone deficiency, or where a disease has led to a diagnosis of short stature.
An official at the Korean Medical Association Organization said, "It is a problem to administer the drug when there is no growth hormone deficiency," adding, "As side effects, acromegaly, in which the hands, feet and jaw enlarge, or visual disturbances such as glaucoma can occur, and the risk of developing diabetes can become very high."