Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

Small K-beauty firms ditch Korea as saturated market forces new approach

As the Korean cosmetics wave shows no signs of breaking, smaller retailers are wading into new waters — and leaving their home port behind entirely.

2026-04-16

From minimal to magical: Playful designs, cute collaborations reshape K-beauty marketing

Korea's beauty industry is ramping up collaborations with cute, popular characters for limited-edition merchandise to generate hype on social media and drive sales. The shift reflects the industry’s focus on a younger consumer base.

2026-04-16

Riman Korea is growing it alone: Cosmetics firm farms key ingredient as competition starts in soil

The beauty company Riman Korea has built its own farm, where it raises a plant that produces a key ingredient in some cosmetic products as competition moves from recipes to ingredients.

2026-04-14

Chanel raises prices on popular Chanel 25 handbags by 3 percent

Chanel raised prices on its “Chanel 25” handbag, just days after raising prices on its perfumes and cosmetics. The company raised the price of the handbag by around 3 percent on average on Thursday, a day after hiking prices for beauty products.

2026-04-03

Kotra to operate booth promoting Korean companies at international beauty fair in Italy

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra) said Monday it will operate a large-scale booth for domestic companies at an international beauty fair in Italy later this week to showcase K-beauty products.

2026-03-23

Free food, fun photo booths and fantastic lunch views: Companies get creative with employee motivation

Companies in Korea are turning to new concepts in a bid to motivate employees, from a free convenience store to cafeterias that aren't tucked away in a basement.

2026-03-17

K-Beauty seeks to spread to EU, India markets after record exports last year

K-beauty companies are accelerating efforts to expand into Europe and India as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raise uncertainty in one of the industry’s emerging export markets.

2026-03-17

Chinese brands, once discounted by consumers, now gaining ground in Korea

At a Chicor beauty store in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Tuesday, young shoppers crowded around cosmetics from Chinese brand Flower Knows — one of the many signs of how Chinese consumer brands are gaining ground in Korea.

2026-03-13

Japanese men adopt Korean idol makeup and grooming trends as K-beauty's influence expands

A grooming trend that emphasizes a natural-looking appearance like Korean male idols is spreading among young men in Japan, and K-beauty is playing a central role, a local newspaper reported.

2026-03-09

Olive Young opens first distribution center in North America

Olive Young opened its first distribution center in California, the beauty retailer said Thursday, ahead of the opening of its first North American brick-and-mortar store in May.

2026-03-05