A promotional poster for the 2026 Seoul Beauty Week / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Korea’s multibillion-dollar beauty sector is operating at full throttle.
Last year, the nation exported $11.4 billion in cosmetics, surpassing the United States to become the world’s second-largest exporter behind France. Surprisingly, this boom hasn't been driven by corporate conglomerates, but by independent brands — small-to-mid-size startups that now generate 72.5 percent of all Korean beauty exports.
Now, as the global appetite for Korean cosmetics shifts from internet popularity to a permanent fixture of daily skin care, Seoul is preparing to lay the groundwork for the industry's future.
Municipal officials announced Tuesday that the fifth annual Seoul Beauty Week will open on Aug. 22 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza. The four-day trade showcase, organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will gather a record 152 companies spanning skin care startups, aesthetic medical firms, wellness brands and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven beauty-tech pioneers.
