The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on June 19, 2026, the opening of the third location of K-Beauty Play in Seomyeon, Busan, a comprehensive exhibition and experiential space aimed at promoting domestic small and medium-sized beauty enterprises. This new outlet comes on the heels of previous openings in Myeongdong and Hongdae in 2021 and 2024, respectively, showcasing the government's commitment to fostering the K-beauty ecosystem.
K-Beauty Play has successfully facilitated engagement by offering services such as skin analysis, makeup trials, personal color diagnostics, and one-day beauty classes. These initiatives have attracted significant interest, with over 480,000 total visitors and approximately 130,000 using experiential services, 74.6% of whom are international tourists. This impressive statistic serves as an indicator of customer behavior and the growing global appeal of K-beauty products.
The establishment of the Busan location represents a crucial business model shift towards decentralizing K-beauty experiences beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. With over 5,993 products from 1,128 small businesses currently showcased, K-Beauty Play intends to create broader consumer connections and increase brand visibility across regional markets. This strategic positioning is expected to enhance sales opportunities for local cosmetic brands, fundamentally changing the business landscape for SMEs in the sector.
Moreover, the Busan venue aims to prioritize brands from the South Chungcheong region and southward, thereby directly supporting and enhancing the market presence of local enterprises. This focus reflects an understanding of regional brand empowerment and aligns with national initiatives to boost exports and innovation in the beauty sector.
The opening ceremony featured remarks from Deputy Minister Lee Hyung-hoon, who emphasized the essential role that innovative small brands play in making K-beauty the second-largest global exporter. This enhances the long-term viability and stability of the industry, reinforcing the importance of government support for local brands to maximize their potential.
By engaging with regional cosmetic companies during the opening, the Ministry aims to not only facilitate the exchange of industry insights but also strengthen the export competitiveness of local brands. This step is critical as it signals to potential investors the burgeoning opportunities within the K-beauty landscape, aligning stakeholder interests with ongoing economic growth in the beauty sector.
The K-Beauty Play initiative marks a definitive move towards establishing a more interconnected K-beauty ecosystem that harnesses local talent and capabilities, ultimately positioning South Korea as a leader in the global beauty supply chain.
