On the 2nd, the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups held a field meeting with cosmetics export companies at CJ Olive Young's Seongsu-dong innovative store (Olive Young N) and announced the plan for securing the sustainability of global expansion for K-beauty small and medium venture companies.
Last year's cosmetics export amount reached $6.8 billion (approximately 9.73 trillion won), marking the highest record to date, and in the first quarter of 2025, cosmetics exports also achieved $1.84 billion (approximately 2.63 trillion won), representing an increase of about 20% compared to the same period last year ($1.53 billion), setting a new record for the first quarter.
However, domestic small and medium enterprises in the cosmetics sector are experiencing difficulties in exports amid a changing trade environment, including recent tariff measures in the United States.
In response, the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups has supplemented the 'K-beauty small and medium venture companies global competitiveness enhancement plan' announced last July, and prepared support measures to accelerate the globalization of K-beauty small and medium enterprises in relation to the United States' tariff measures, including ▲Establishment of a specialized consulting and response system ▲Strengthening three capabilities for entry into new markets ▲Identification and nurturing of promising export companies.
First, the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups will form a consulting group consisting of tariff specialists and experts from the Cosmetics Association within the Korea Chemical Convergence Test Research Institute (KTR), which operates the overseas export regulation response support project, and will introduce a Kakao AI chatbot consulting system to provide specialized consulting in the tariff area, including U.S. tariff imposition procedures and proof of origin.
A new 'K-beauty online marketing program' connecting local influencers in the United States will be established to support global marketing. Specialized programs for entry into the U.S. market, such as the introduction of the 'K-beauty luxury envoy group', will also be operated.
Efforts will also be made to strengthen three capabilities for entering new markets. A 'Cosmo Beauty Seoul × K-beauty Festa' will be held from the 28th to the 30th at COEX, inviting overseas big buyers through public-private collaboration for exhibitions and consultations. Support will also be provided for entry into new markets utilizing global online shopping malls, including expansion of professional seller agency support for companies lacking marketing capabilities and online platform entry in regions like Europe and South America, and a 'K-beauty special exhibition' conducted during special periods by region.
The support limit for overseas certification for K-beauty will be raised by 40%, and a fast-track process will be applied to all K-beauty overseas certifications, planning to reduce the selection time after the announcement to approximately 1.5 months. A 'K-beauty smart factory partnership' will also be established for digitalization at manufacturing sites.
The Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups will also expand the participation platform for the 'K-beauty creator challenge' from the United States to Southeast Asia and other regions. The K-beauty creator challenge is a program to identify and nurture promising K-beauty corporations initiated by Amazon, COSMAX, and Kolmar Korea that began last year.
This year, support for market diversification will be provided by expanding participation in global platforms aimed at entering the Southeast Asian and Japanese markets, and selected corporations will be provided with a foothold for growth in conjunction with government export support projects. At the same time, the establishment of the 'global K-beauty fund', which was launched last month, will be completed within the year.
Minister Oh Youngju noted, "While the recent trend of strengthening global protectionism is a red signal for the globalization of K-beauty small and medium enterprises, if the accumulated know-how and competitiveness are combined with the efforts of the private sector and corporations, it can become an opportunity for K-beauty to solidify its number one position in the global market."