KOTRA hosts record K-beauty export consultation with buyers from 60 countries

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency announced Thursday that it is holding a "K-Beauty Global Export Consultation" at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, through Friday. The two-day event is tied to the 2026 K-Beauty Expo Korea, which runs through Saturday at the same venue, and was organized jointly with Kintex to diversify export markets and product categories for K-beauty.

A record 220 overseas buyers from 60 countries are attending the consultation this year. Participants will hold one-on-one export meetings with domestic companies based on materials exchanged in advance, while KOTRA will also support market entry through China's major content and online retail platforms and live commerce sales linked to overseas influencers.

On-site sessions include an information seminar and consulting on entering Douyin, a live commerce program featuring Chinese influencers and corporate promotion activities, a mobile KOTRA export advisory desk, and a "K-Beauty Integrated Advisory Service" desk operated by Samil PwC.

Support for smaller regional companies looking to expand overseas has also been strengthened. Six small businesses based in Gyeonggi Province were selected through the province's sustainable management (ESG) exhibition marketing support program and will receive focused assistance with buyer consultations, retail network entry and export advisory services.

K-beauty has emerged as a flagship export category for small and medium-sized enterprises. According to KOTRA, cosmetics exports reached $11.1 billion in the first nine months of this year, up 31.1 percent from the same period last year — nearly matching last year's full-year total of $11.4 billion.

Last year, South Korea became the world's second-largest cosmetics exporter, behind France, and currently holds the top market share in cosmetics imports in major markets including the United States, Japan and Russia. Popularity that began in Asia has spread beyond North America and Europe to the Middle East and Latin America, positioning K-beauty as a driver of export market diversification.

The concurrent K-Beauty Expo Korea is being held in halls 3 through 5 of Kintex's Exhibition Hall 1, with 679 companies — including 592 domestic firms — participating across 1,088 booths.

"Global buyers are paying close attention to the reliability of Korean cosmetics products, their rapid product development and their sophisticated marketing techniques," said Han Seok-woo, head of KOTRA's Northern Gyeonggi Province support division. "We will do our utmost to provide follow-up support so that small and medium-sized enterprises and local small businesses can take on more overseas markets and deliver results through this consultation."