Kolmar vice chairman '100 percent certain' K-beauty will keep growing, credits emerging brands

Kolmar Vice Chairman Yoon Sang-hyun said Tuesday he is "100 percent certain" that the Korean cosmetics industry can sustain its growth.

Yoon made the remarks during a keynote address at "Amazon Beauty in Seoul 2026," held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. His talk was titled "Is K-beauty sustainable?"

He expressed strong confidence in the industry's long-term prospects, arguing that K-beauty's competitive edge lies in an interconnected ecosystem spanning brand creation, cosmetics manufacturing and global retail distribution.

"The driving force behind K-beauty's growth is the constant birth of new brands," Yoon said. "As long as someone has a good idea, an ODM company like Kolmar Korea can manufacture the product, and a global platform like Amazon can connect it with consumers around the world — that is the ecosystem that makes it all possible."

He added that the environment enabling new brands to emerge and scale is K-beauty's "true competitive strength," and pledged that Kolmar and Amazon would work together to support the industry's continued growth.

The event brought together cosmetics manufacturers, brands, distributors and investors to share strategies for entering global markets and explore partnership opportunities. About 10,000 industry participants attended in person and online, including Yoon and Shin Hwa-sook, head of Amazon Global Selling Korea.

Kolmar Korea has served as the sole manufacturing sponsor of the event for three consecutive years, having first co-hosted it with Amazon in 2024.

Yoon's remarks underscored the view that K-beauty's competitiveness does not rest on the success of a handful of large brands. Even startups that do not handle product development or manufacturing in-house can enter overseas markets by leveraging ODM companies' technology and global distribution platforms. The comments highlighted an industry structure in which a steady stream of new brand entrants expands business opportunities for manufacturers and distributors alike.

Kolmar Korea set up a booth at the venue showcasing products and technologies reflecting the latest global cosmetics trends across skincare, makeup, personal care and sun care. The company also offered tailored consultations for existing brands and prospective entrepreneurs.

Kolmar Korea operated the consultation space together with its cosmetics packaging subsidiary Yeonwoo, allowing visitors to receive advice on everything from formulation development to container production in one place.

Amazon also ran separate regional onboarding consultation booths, giving participating companies a venue to discuss not only product development and manufacturing but also strategies for entering global online distribution channels.

"This event confirmed that K-beauty is establishing itself as a sustainable industry, not just a passing trend," a Kolmar Korea official said. "We will continue to actively support the birth and global growth of new K-beauty brands through our partnership with Amazon."