APR's founder sees the beauty sector differently, from leaning into devices to viral marketing himself

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APR's founder sees the beauty sector differently, from leaning into devices to viral marketing himself

Published: 05 Dec. 2025, 12:04

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Korean cosmetics company APR's media facade advertisement in the United States [APR]

Kim Byung-hoon, the chief executive of APR, has built one of Korea’s most talked-about beauty companies by betting on a market few expected to grow: affordable home-use beauty devices. His strategy — blending heavy social media presence with data-driven product design — has helped turn a 50 million won ($33,935) startup into a public company valued in the trillions of won.

But its rapid popularity has also raised questions about how long the device boom can last.

Kim co-founded APR in 2014. In 11 years, the company went public and now trades at a valuation some analysts place near the top of Korea’s beauty sector. The company's early strength came from promoting its brands, including Aprilskin and Medicube, on social media and selling directly through its online stores.

“We understood early that online culture moves fast,” Kim said in a recent interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in Seoul. “You have to meet consumers where they already are.”

Instead of following the usual K-beauty formula of relying on short-lived trends and cosmetics, Kim pushed the firm toward beauty technology.

APR co-founder and CEO Kim Byung-hoon's Instagram posts [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Challenging internal consensus

In 2019, after APR posted its first operating loss of 6 billion won, Kim suggested launching a beauty device line during a product development meeting. The room fell silent. Managers warned that high prices and potential skin troubles — leading to consumer distrust — could sink the brand. Even Lee Ju-kwang, the other co-founder, had his doubts.

Kim insisted. “Most women own a hair iron,” he said. “Why not a simple, affordable skincare tool?”

The company moved ahead with the plan. To control costs, employees hunted for a manufacturer capable of producing a 200,000-won beauty device. They eventually partnered with Emtek, known for making e-cigarettes.

“Accessibility is key,” Kim reportedly told staff. “We want something anyone can use. It has to be affordable. And it should work with the cosmetics people already use, not require [anything] special.”

In about a year, APR released three devices. The results, while not transformative, confirmed consumer interest. But Kim wanted something designed for daily use — more compact and suitable for an everyday skincare routine. Ultrasound and radio frequency models felt too harsh, he said.

After further development, the company launched the Booster Healer in July 2022. The compact tool, designed to work with existing regimens by allegedly helping skin better absorb products, found traction in the United States and Japan.

As of the third quarter of 2025, device sales made up about 30 percent of APR’s 979.7 billion won in cumulative revenue. Since 2021, the company has sold around five million devices, half of them overseas.

Beauty devices made by Korean cosmetics company APR [APR]

Building its own product line

Kim’s next move split investors: building APR’s own device factory. Most Korean beauty brands outsource manufacturing, but Kim argued that controlling the process was the only way to compete on technology and price.

Investors questioned whether customers would repeatedly buy devices. Kim compared the market to smartphones. “Once people adopt a device, they look for upgrades,” he said.

APR installed its production line in 2023 and opened a second facility the next year. The company now releases several devices annually and says internal manufacturing has cut costs by as much as a third. APR is preparing to enter the dermatological device market next year.

Analysts say the company’s patents have given APR a competitive edge in global markets. But some researchers warn that device sales can be unpredictable and face higher customer satisfaction risks.

There is a chance that sales may taper once households reach saturation and some U.S. customers have already sought refunds over irritation.

Korean cosmetics company APR's second factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi [APR]

Marketing through personal life

Kim often tests marketing ideas through his own social media accounts. Clips show him using APR devices during meetings or while cooking meals. “It’s so gentle that I can use it at work,” he says in one video. The casual tone mirrors that of the beauty influencers the company works with across 21 countries, including the United States, China, Japan and Malaysia.

His TikTok persona, “CEOppa,” posts everything from comic sketches to office dance challenges, a contrast to the traditional leadership style seen in Korea's beauty industry.

In an Instagram post featuring him posing at the Signiel Hotel rooftop pool in Songpa District, southern Seoul, he says with practiced ease, “Is one day of playing in the water really a problem?” Another Instagram video shows him with an influencer, with Kim acting as a CEO in a K-drama parody.

In addition, Kim tries to pay close attention to his consumers' comments. “He likes guessing which comment will rise to the top,” said Shin Jae-woo, the head of APR’s research and development. “It’s his way of checking whether he still understands the audience's reactions.”

APR also invests heavily in global celebrity marketing. Reviews from Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber played a major role in boosting APR's overseas brand recognition.

“There are no secret recipes in marketing,” said Kim at an event titled “Amazon Beauty in Seoul” in September. “But we constantly change tactics to stay up to date with trends. What works now won’t be what we’re doing in a few months.”

Shin Hwa-sook, the head of Amazon Global Selling Korea — one of APR’s key distribution channels — said Kim always attends their monthly sales seminars.

“Other firms send midlevel staff, but he comes personally,” she said. “He tracks detailed sales figures himself and always asks questions from the consumer perspective.”

Hur Dae-sik, a professor of business administration at Yonsei University, said Kim represents a shift in how Korean founders engage younger consumers. “He understands millennial and Gen Z behavior because he participates in the same online culture,” Hur said.

APR co-founder and CEO Kim Byung-hoon presents during an event titled Amazon Beauty in Seoul held at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 19. [NOH YU-RIM]

Competitors move in

APR’s device success has pulled larger firms into a market that they once approached with caution. LG Household & Health Care took over the LG Pra.L brand this year and released a device priced at around 400,000 won. Amorepacific revived its MakeON brand’s light-emitting diode masks. L’Oréal-owned Lancôme launched its first absorption-enhancing device in October.

Industry observers say APR helped reframe devices as a mainstream part of skincare rather than a niche or luxury add-on. PwC Korea projects the global home beauty device market will grow from $14 billion in 2022 to nearly $90 billion in 2030.

APR now sells not only skincare brands but also dietary supplements, as well as fashion and lifestyle products. About 30 percent of APR’s revenue comes from overseas, and the company plans to expand that share.

“APR integrated manufacturing, marketing and data in a way that reshaped the beauty value chain,” said Kim Joo-deok, a professor of cosmetics and the beauty industry at Sungshin Women’s University. “It reflects a shift from speed-driven to tech-driven K-beauty.”

A pop-up store for Medicube, an APR brand, in Hong Kong [APR]

Concerns about sustainability

Experts caution that APR faces risks. In addition to market saturation and dissatisfaction due to side effects, the company's reliance on celebrity marketing and Kim’s own social media visibility leaves little margin for missteps.

“Any scandal can directly affect the brand,” said Lee Jong-woo, an adjunct professor of business administration at Ajou University. “Risk management needs to be ongoing.”

Kim acknowledges the uncertainty. He argues that demand for home-use technology will continue as long as consumers want more control over their routines. “We pay attention to how people actually use products,” he said. “The question is how to stay ahead of their expectations.”

Influencer and model Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, is seen using an APR beauty device in a promotional video uploaded to her YouTube channel, ″Kylie News Daily″ [APR]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-MI, NOH YU-RIM [[email protected]]