GOYANG — K-Beauty Expo Korea, the country's largest beauty industry trade show, strengthened its position as a global business platform with record participation and export results.
Kintex said on the 19th that the 2026 K-Beauty Expo Korea, held from the 15th to the 17th, generated export deals worth $105 million, or about 140 billion won, a 2.5-fold increase from a year earlier.
The 18th edition of the event drew 679 companies from 15 countries, including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and China, filling 1,088 booths. The number of participating companies rose 33% from a year earlier, while exhibition space expanded 42%. A total of about 55,000 people visited during the event, including roughly 16,000 overseas buyers from more than 140 countries.
One-on-one export consultation sessions, jointly run by Kintex and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency's Northern Gyeonggi Office, brought in about 220 selected overseas buyers and produced consultations worth a combined $331 million. Twenty-two memorandums of understanding were signed on site, including an immediate contract worth more than $100,000 with a U.S. buyer.
Ceratgen, a biological regenerative medicine company, held the single largest consultation of the event with a Romanian buyer, valued at $6.4 million, and is pursuing a contract worth $2.13 million.
Overseas buyers showed strong interest in high-function skin care products based on biological ingredients such as PDRN, exosomes and ECM, as well as clean beauty lines built around vegan and natural ingredients. Briefing sessions on entering China's Xiaohongshu and Douyin platforms and specialist conferences including the K-Beauty Insight Concert also drew enthusiastic responses.
"Record participation translated into real export contracts," Kintex CEO Lee Min-woo said. "We will continue to grow this into a global top-tier business platform connecting buyers worldwide with outstanding Korean beauty brands."
The 2027 K-Beauty Expo Korea is scheduled to open on Oct. 14 next year at Kintex Exhibition Center 1, expanding significantly to four halls.