Kim Seung-hwan, CEO of Amorepacific, stated that "K-Beauty is no longer a temporary trend but has established itself as a new standard in the global skincare market."
According to Amorepacific, Kim made this remark while presenting strategies for the competitiveness and sustainable growth of the Korean beauty industry at the '2026 WWD Beauty CEO Summit' held in Palm Beach, Florida, from May 11 to 13.
WWD, a fashion and beauty media outlet founded in 1910, hosts this prestigious CEO forum for the 28th time this year. Approximately 500 executives from global retail and beauty companies, including L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, Unilever, Amazon, Sephora, and Ulta Beauty, attended the event.
In his presentation, Kim outlined three key factors contributing to the success of K-Beauty: discerning Korean consumers, continuous product innovation, and an open manufacturing infrastructure that allows anyone to easily create a brand.
Previously, at the IGDS World Department Store Summit held in Seoul last June, Kim emphasized that "thanks to strong ODM support, there are over 30,000 beauty brands in Korea," adding that "anyone with an idea can collaborate with over 4,000 manufacturers to launch a brand."
Kim explained that for K-Beauty to continue its rapid growth sustainably, a strategic shift to a new phase is necessary, presenting four core tasks: differentiating brand identity, expanding categories beyond skincare, enhancing R&D-based scientific innovation, and broadening personalized customer experiences through digital technology and AI.
Amorepacific noted that this presentation is significant as it positions K-Beauty not merely as a trend but as a unique industrial model rooted in Korean consumers and the industry ecosystem.
An Amorepacific representative stated, "For over 80 years, we have led the growth and innovation of the K-Beauty industry based on our accumulated R&D capabilities and consumer trust as Korea's representative beauty company. We will accelerate our growth as a global leader in beauty and wellness under our long-term vision of 'Create New Beauty.'"
* This article has been translated by AI.
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