APR CEO says K-beauty has evolved into 'realm of trust and verification'

"If K-beauty's past popularity stemmed from novelty — unique formulations and ingredients — today's K-beauty is evolving into a realm of trust and verification by combining science and technology."

APR CEO Kim Byung-hoon spoke at the Business of Beauty Global Forum 2026, held in Napa Valley, California, from June 24 to 26 (local time).

The BoB Global Forum is a premium conference hosted by Business of Fashion, a global fashion and beauty media outlet. Each year, it brings together about 150 industry leaders — including beauty company executives, investors and retailers from around the world — to discuss industry trends and future strategies. Kim is the first CEO of a K-beauty company to speak at the forum.

On the forum's opening day, Kim held a conversation with Priya Rao, executive beauty editor at Business of Fashion, on the theme of "the secrets behind K-beauty's resurgence." He shared his founding philosophy and the company's growth story driven by technological innovation, and assessed that K-beauty has moved beyond a passing trend to settle into a sustainable growth trajectory.

Kim cited APR's beauty-tech infrastructure — built on a rich base of customer data — as the company's core competitive strength. APR shares research and development capabilities and customer data across its brands, including the derma cosmetics brand Medicube, the beauty device brand Medicube AGE-R and the low-irritation skincare brand Aprilskin. "Rather than simply diversifying brands for the sake of outward expansion, what matters is maintaining each brand's differentiated identity while generating synergies," he said.

Kim identified "the democratization of longevity" as the defining keyword for the future of the beauty industry. "Longevity is not simply about living longer — it is about quality of life, maintaining peak condition and confidence over time," he said. "Making that accessible to more people by lowering barriers to entry and reducing costs is what democratizing longevity means."

That philosophy is also reflected in APR's business portfolio. The company is pursuing an expansion into aesthetic medical devices and plans to unveil related new products as early as the end of this year.

"Kim Byung-hoon's participation in this forum confirmed APR's elevated standing as a company representing K-beauty," an APR official said. "We will build on our differentiated beauty-tech capabilities to emerge as a company that sets new standards in the global beauty market."