KINTEX (CEO Lee Min-woo) will hold the ‘2026 K-Beauty Expo Korea’ from October 15 to 17, marking the largest beauty industry exhibition in South Korea. This year's event, in its 18th iteration, expects participation from 679 companies across 15 countries, utilizing 1,088 exhibition booths—setting a record for size and scale.
This year, there has been a 1.3-fold increase in participating companies and a 1.4-fold expansion in booth space compared to the previous year. Notably, international participation has risen from 65 companies to 82.
A key feature of the expo, the ‘One-on-One Export Consultation with Invited Overseas Buyers’, will showcase 220 companies from 60 different countries selected through KOTRA’s overseas trade offices. When including self-registered buyers, the event is expected to attract over 10,000 global buyers. Notably, preliminary consultations have already facilitated exclusive contracts before the event's opening, and dedicated spaces for MOUs will be provided to support agreements and contracts on-site.
To boost domestic market penetration, the ‘MD Distribution Consultation’ will involve 33 participating retailers, including popular platforms TikTok Korea, Wadiz, and Lotte Home Shopping. Additionally, the ‘MD’s Pick’ will allow MDs to select standout products during the event. KOTRA will also run a ‘Gyeonggi ESG Exhibition Marketing Support Program’ to assist six small and micro-enterprises from regions experiencing population decline.
On October 16, the expo will host a briefing on entering major Chinese platforms Douyin and Xiaohongshu, along with a ‘K-Beauty Insight Concert’ featuring both domestic and international speakers. Furthermore, the event will include a community program called ‘BeautyFull’, operated in conjunction with WeStart, where donations and corporate contributions will fund cosmetic and feminine product kits for underprivileged girls.
KINTEX aims to leverage this record-setting exhibition to elevate the K-Beauty Expo into a leading K-beauty business platform in Asia. By continuously expanding the exhibition scale, the number of international participants, and the countries of invited buyers, KINTEX plans to strengthen its global network and support domestic beauty companies in sourcing overseas buyers and market expansion.
CEO Lee Min-woo stated, “The growth of the K-Beauty Expo demonstrates the global market's high interest in domestic beauty companies. Given the largest scale to date, we are focused on ensuring consultations lead to contracts and real business outcomes that open pathways to new market entries.”
