Incheon Beauty and Healthcare Show Achieves Record Export Consultation Success

The 2026 Beauty and Healthcare Show, an important expo and conference representing Incheon, took place from July 23 for two days at Songdo Convensia. The event saw participation from 225 companies, marking the highest achievement in its history for the associated B2B export consultations.

Hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Incheon Metropolitan City, and jointly organized by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Incheon Tourism Organization, this year's export consultation marked its fourth edition with the largest participation to date, featuring 188 domestic companies and 37 international firms.

This expo aims to elevate Incheon as a global hub for the beauty and healthcare industry by enhancing synergies in local industries centered around cosmetics, in line with the government's focus on developing regional growth engines.

Notably, K-beauty exports surged to over $7 billion in the first half of the year, a 27% increase over the same period last year. The top three export markets are the United States, China, and Japan. KOTRA has endeavored to diversify the beauty export market by attracting emerging market buyers, resulting in buyers from the Global South constituting half of the participating buyers—18 out of 37.

With global beauty consumption trends expanding into the 'beauty + healthcare' fusion area, buyers demonstrated high interest not only in traditional K-beauty products but also in K-beauty tech products characterized by innovative technologies and differentiation. Consultation topics included traditional skincare and color cosmetics, as well as advanced wellness products like AI skin diagnostic devices, customized beauty devices, LED masks, radiofrequency equipment, and sleep technology products.

At the event, Skin Nine Cosmetic Co., a domestic company based in Incheon, signed an MOU worth $200,000 with a buyer from Nigeria. The company noted that Africa presents challenges for small and medium enterprises due to a lack of information and networks compared to other regions, but KOTRA's matching support has enabled them to engage deeply with genuine local buyers and assess real market needs. They expressed heightened expectations for developing this promising new market.

Furthermore, the consultations resulted in a total of 541 export counseling meetings over two days, a significant increase from the 155 domestic companies that attended last year. The on-site export consultation amount reached $39 million, a 77% increase compared to the previous year, surpassing the initial target of $25 million by more than 58%.

KOTRA also provided export-related consulting through its 'Mobile KOTRA' program at the entrance of the consultation area, where experts offered one-on-one consulting on overseas certifications, trade, customs, intellectual property, and logistics to support on-site achievement.

Kim Sam-soo, Head of KOTRA's Incheon Support Center, emphasized that Incheon, with its airport and port, serves as a gateway to the capital region and offers excellent accessibility for global buyers and consumers in the beauty and healthcare industry. He affirmed KOTRA's commitment to follow-up support to achieve diversification in both market and product exports by integrating K-beauty and medical sectors.