SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean cosmetics and other beauty product companies will seek export deals at an annual industry exhibition that opened Thursday in North Chungcheong Province, the provincial government said.
The Cosmetics & Beauty Expo Osong Korea 2026 that runs through Saturday is underway in Osong, a district of Cheongju, 83 kilometers south of Seoul. The event aims to connect local companies with international buyers, according to the provincial government.
"We will help K-beauty products reach global markets and attract international buyers to North Chungcheong Province, a hub for the industry, to facilitate export deals," Gov. Shin Yong-han said.
More than 250 companies are participating in the business-to-business (B2B)-focused event, held under the theme "K-Beauty Osong Seeks Growth Along With Global Partners," the provincial government said.
This photo provided by the North Chungcheong provincial government shows a promotional poster for the 13th Cosmetics & Beauty Expo Osong Korea, scheduled for Oct. 22-24, 2026, in Osong in the central city of Cheongju. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This year's expo, the largest to date, will give local companies opportunities to expand into overseas markets while allowing visitors to experience K-beauty products, Jang Woo-sung, director general of the provincial government's bureau of biologics, food and drugs, said.
The expo has been held annually in Cheongju since 2013, except in 2014.
The provincial government has partnered with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to invite 200 domestic and international buyers, including representatives of Japanese retailer Ito-Yokado and Marui Group. The organizers expect the event to facilitate more than 1,200 one-on-one business meetings aimed at generating potential deals.
On the first day of the expo, organizers hosted investment relations (IR) and mentoring programs for 10 local startups.
The number of prominent overseas buyers rose to 26 this year from six last year, more than quadrupling, amid growing global demand for K-beauty products, according to the provincial government.
Two seminars are also scheduled during the expo, including one sponsored by the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) on strategies for entering European markets on Thursday and another on next-generation cosmetics technologies set to take place on Friday.
This undated file photo provided by the North Chungcheong provincial government shows the Osco exhibition hall in Osong in the central city of Cheongju, where the 13th Cosmetics & Beauty Expo Osong Korea is scheduled to take place from Oct. 22 to 24, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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