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Breaking $10 billion in exports: K-beauty trends captivate the world

2025/01/14 14:00

Welcome to Trend Vibes where we delve into the latest trends connected to Korea. For that, we have our trend reporter, Seyoung! Hello! Do you notice anything different about me today? I’ve put a little extra effort into my makeup today! That’s because our topic is K-beauty! Last week, we talked about Korean people’s New Year’s resolutions. One of them was self-improvement, and as a part of efforts to improve oneself many people also focus on enhancing their appearance. So today, we’ll dive into the world of K-beauty! Oh, that sounds exciting! I’ve heard about the K-beauty boom, but how popular is it overseas right now? It’s huge! Let’s look at the numbers first. Korea’s cosmetics exports surpassed 10 billion U.S. dollars last year, setting a record high. As you can see from the graph on the screen K-Beauty exports have almost quadrupled from 2015 to 2024. Compared to 2012, 12 years ago, they have grown tenfold. Notably, it surpassed France to become the top imported cosmetics brand in the U.S., the world’s largest cosmetics market. In terms of recognition, K-beauty is also one of the most well-known terms among global consumers and there is a survey that actually proves this popularity. A 2023 Euromonitor survey asked over 20-thousand people across 20 major countries if they had heard of beauty terms linked to specific nations. The top answer? K-beauty! Nearly 30% of respondents knew about it, surpassing J-beauty (Japanese beauty) by about 10 percentage points. So we can say K-beauty excels both in profitability and global recognition! Wow, that’s such a proud achievement! What types of K-beauty products are most popular? There’s a wide variety of Korean cosmetics, so competition is fierce. In the U.S., skincare products are dominant. Japan prefers color cosmetics and loves girl group-inspired makeup trends,.. while France is drawn to the Korean-style skincare layering routine. Also since COVID-19, interest in skincare products with natural and organic ingredients and a delicate skincare routine itself has surged in places where people had to wear face masks for long periods as masks irritate the skin, while more people also focused on eye makeup due to masks covering the lower face. It’s fascinating how each country focuses on different aspects of K-Beauty! Exactly. I found it particularly interesting that France admires the routine itself. For instance, I layer skincare products step-by-step every night, sometimes with a sheet mask. I used to take it for granted, because I’ve seen my mom doing it for a long time and it was my old habit, too. But it’s exciting to see Korean skincare routines gain global attention! Beyond the products themselves, what’s driving the global appeal of K-Beauty? First, we can’t ignore the influence of K-pop. Fans want to replicate their favorite idols’ looks, and YouTube is full of tutorials on K-pop-inspired makeup. This naturally translates into product sales. And I want to ask you guys this question. Have you watched any of these videos or tried the looks yourself? or have you seen anyone trying these makeup styles from the videos? I sometimes watch these videos for fun, too. Along with the popularity of K-pop K-beauty’s unbeatable value is another reason. Korean brands offer excellent quality at reasonable prices, making them hard to resist. Lastly, localization strategies play a big role. For instance, one brand released sun care and moisturizing creams tailored to Vietnam’s humid climate, while another launched compact-sized cushion foundations for the Japanese market. This success isn’t limited to major corporations; small and medium-sized businesses are also thriving. Their innovation and competitiveness add real value to the industry. It’s inspiring to see such a balanced ecosystem driving K-beauty’s global popularity. What’s the outlook for the industry? I’d say it’s bright! The Korean government actively promotes K-beauty. For instance, the Korea Beauty Festival last June targeted international tourists interested in K-beauty. Additionally, the global recognition of K-beauty means that strong product quality can now outshine branding. Many experts believe that this mix of quality and affordability will drive further growth. Seyoung, it’s been such an insightful session. Glad you found it insightful Walter. But yes, not only were we able to explore the products but we also learned about the significance in K-beauty as an export growth engine. Thanks, Seyoung! My pleasure! Thank you!

[K-enter] BTS's 'Dynamite' Hits 2 Billion Streams on Spotify... A First for K-pop

2025/01/14 14:00

It's time for our K-entertainment news with Walter Lee. Our first story today is about a world famous song that goes like this "So I'ma light it up like dynamite, whoa" and the news you have on this song proves why it's a "world famous song" Yes, BTS have done it again, they can add another milestone to their already endless list of achievements. According to the latest data released on Sunday by the world's largest music streaming platform, Spotify, BTS's single "Dynamite," released all the way back in 2020, has reached 2 billion streams. What makes this so special is that BTS are the first K-pop group to surpass 2 billion streams on Spotify with a single song. "Dynamite" was the first song by a Korean artist to debut at No. 1 on Spotify's 'Daily Top Songs Global chart' and set a record as the most-streamed song on its release day. It was also the first K-pop song to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify. BTS aren't the only ones making waves in the K-pop world right now, we have updates on two members from BlackPink. Yes, so last week I reported that Rosé made a personal best and a K-pop record by reaching No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with her hit song "APT", a collaboration with pop star Bruno Mars. Well it looks like the singer is not going anywhere as the hit song has maintained its position at No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart for the second consecutive week, only cementing her achievement in K-pop history. And who is the other member we are going to talk about? Also last week, we mentioned Jisoo and her upcoming K-drama series "Newtopia" coming out on February 7. But that's not the only thing Jisoo plans to do in February as she also has her musical solo comeback planned for February 14, a week after her K-drama release. On Monday, Jisoo teased her new solo album through content shared on her agency BLISSOO's official social media channels. This will be her first solo project since her debut single “FLOWER” in March 2023. She sounds like a busy bee, good luck to Jisoo and her packed schedule for February and congratulations to Rosé for making more history. Lastly moving onto a K-movie. The occult K-movie "Exhuma" or "PaMyo" in Korean, which topped the 2024 annual box office, has emerged as the most talked-about film after being nominated in 11 categories at the 18th Asian Film Awards. According to the nominee list announced by the Asian Film Awards Academy last Friday, "Exhuma" received nominations in categories such as Best Picture, Best Director Jang Jae-hyun , Best Actor Choi Min-sik , Best Actress..Kim Go-eun , and Best Newcomer..Lee Do-hyun . It had the most nominations of all the films at the awards. The Asian Film Awards, held annually, are organised by the Asian Film Awards Academy, established by the international film festivals of Busan, Tokyo, and Hong Kong to promote the development of Asian cinema. The awards will be held on March 16 in Hong Kong. Thank you for that news Walter, stick around.

[K-wave] "Blockbuster games" being released throughout 2025

2025/01/14 14:00

In the new year, various gaming companies have made efforts to release their "masterpiece games" of the year. Let's take a look at what's in store from the gaming industry. Lee Eun-jin tells us more. The game "The First Berserker: Khazan" tells the story 800 years before the popular "Dungeon and Fighter." The narrative is a revenge journey of the betrayed captain Khazan, but depending on the game user's choices, the story varies slightly. The exciting battle and 3D-cell animation-style graphics add to the fun. "InZOI" is a life simulation game where the player can create and experience another life. The players can make the virtual people named "Zoi" fulfill certain tasks in various roles. AI technology is integrated into the virtual interactions, allowing people to make families and friends in the game. Both "The First Berserker: Khazan" and "inZOI" will be released on March 28. After six years of waiting, the long-awaited game "Crimson Desert" is expected to be released in the second half of this year. It's an open-world action-adventure game that depicts a mercenary group's journey through the power struggle-plagued continent of Pywel. Depending on the choice made by the player, the reputation of the main character changes, meaning it is a multivariate game, consequently affecting the ending of the story. "A multivariate narrative is a narrative that unfolds in various ways. Results like a prolonged life or increased profitability add to the satisfaction of the player, making them more loyal users." A series of major game projects will be released by each of the gaming companies throughout the year. Anticipation is high among users, but also among the creators as to which will be most popular among gamers. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.