K-beauty expo to open this week in Cheongju

SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Chungcheong Province said Tuesday it will hold its annual cosmetics and beauty expo in Cheongju to help South Korean companies expand exports of cosmetics and other beauty products.

The Cosmetics & Beauty Expo Osong Korea 2026 will run from Thursday to Saturday 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.

More than 250 companies are expected to participate in the business-to-business (B2B)-focused event, which is being held under the theme "K-Beauty Osong seeks growth along with global partners."

"This year's expo, the largest edition to date, will provide local companies with opportunities to expand into overseas markets and allow 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.

The number of prominent overseas buyers is expected to rise 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 organized by the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) on strategies for entering European markets and another on next-generation cosmetics technologies.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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