Korea hopes to let fabless catch up to fab power through $520 billion mega spending SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - That South Korea is a semiconductor powerhouse is established fact: it is home to the world’s largest memory-chip production base. But in the fabless sector — the chip-design layer that defines system-semiconductor competitiveness — the country remains a laggard. That gap is driving an urgent and ambitious push to cultivate proprietary chip architecture capabilities. The government-led vision calls for more than 700 trillion won (about $518 billion) in public–private investment through 2047 to expand manufacturing capacity, elevate system-chip design capabilities, and build a national talent pipeline. Government documents show that by 2031, 1.26 trillion won will go toward AI-specialized chips, 2.6 trillion won into compound semiconductors, and 3.6 trillion won into advanced packaging, along with a 300-billion-won graduate-level semiconductor university intended to produce 300 MS/PhD engineers each year. Korea’s semiconductor strength remains overwhelmingly concentrated in memory, leaving the industry exposed to boom-and-bust cycles and dependent on design decisions made by U.S. chip architects, most notably Nvidia. While Samsung Electronics and SK hynix dominate memory globally, Korea’s fabless firms hold barely 1 percent of the global market—far behind the United States’ 72 percent and Taiwan’s 8 percent. Only one domestic firm, LX Semicon, is ranked among the world’s top 50 fabless companies. The combined revenue of Korea’s top ten fabless firms amounts to just 1.17 percent of global fabless sales. Chronic engineering shortages and limited access to affordable prototype production have long constrained growth. Industry experts say the government’s strategy reflects a structural truth: a world-class foundry cannot thrive without a strong base of domestic design customers. “Korea has extremely strong memory makers, but a healthy foundry business requires a wide range of fabless customers constantly bringing new designs and challenges,” said Gong Byung-don, a professor at POSTECH. “That was the foundation of Taiwan’s ecosystem. For 15 to 20 years, dozens of mid-sized design houses grew around TSMC, and that accumulated demand is what made the foundry giant possible.” To close Korea’s structural gap, the government will establish a 4.5-trillion-won “shared foundry”—a 12-inch, 40-nanometer fab that sets aside dedicated production capacity for domestic chip designers. Officials say the facility will ease prototyping bottlenecks, cut early-stage costs, and mirror Taiwan’s MPW and shuttle-run system that enabled rapid iteration among its small and mid-sized chip-design houses. The broader industrial blueprint links the fabless hub in Pangyo, the Yongin mega-fab cluster, and advanced packaging bases in Gwangju and Busan into an integrated value chain supporting design, production, testing, and assembly. Policymakers argue that AI accelerators, automotive semiconductors, and power devices will increasingly shape global chip demand—and that Korea must compete in these segments to reduce overreliance on memory cycles. Analysts say the initiative also responds to an AI-driven shift in global semiconductor power, with fabless firms such as Nvidia, AMD, and U.S. startups dictating the roadmap for next-generation chips. With hyperscalers pouring unprecedented capital expenditure into AI accelerators, governments see strategic value in securing both design and manufacturing capabilities to safeguard supply chains. Korean fabless firms have long argued that the lack of a dependable domestic manufacturing partner forced them abroad, weakening collaboration between designers and manufacturers and slowing commercialization. Gong said improved access to early-stage production could meaningfully change the landscape. “Test runs, MPWs and prototype fabrication matter enormously for small fabless firms,” he said. “But Korea still faces a market-access challenge. Domestic demand alone is not enough, and Korean startups must be able to reach U.S. and global customers to scale.” He added that while Korea has narrowed the technical gap, constraints remain. “In AI-specific chips, Korea has reached perhaps 80 to 90 percent of global competitiveness. But talent flows mainly into major corporations, and small fabless firms still struggle to secure diverse customers in a highly concentrated domestic market.” If the plan succeeds, officials believe Korea could raise its fabless market share to 10 percent by 2030 and build a semiconductor industry driven by both system-chip innovation and manufacturing scale. But they acknowledge the challenges: intensifying global competition for design talent, the entrenched dominance of U.S. and Taiwanese ecosystems, and the need for domestic firms to break quickly into AI and next-generation system-chip markets. Still, the government argues that combining mega-cluster development, expanded AI-chip R&D, and a dedicated fabless production line marks Korea’s most ambitious semiconductor realignment in decades — an attempt to build an industry powered not only by memory but by a full spectrum of system semiconductors. 2025-12-11 17:48:50

3M turns to robotics to meet strict Korean standards for automated tapes HWASUNG, December 09 (AJP) - A multi-axis industrial robot sweeps deliberately across a component panel, its joints pivoting with an almost animal-like fluidity. From a needle-fine nozzle, it extrudes a glossy black ribbon of liquid-form tape that catches the overhead lights before settling into a perfect line. As the machine arcs over curved ridges and dips into semi-circular edges — surfaces that typically force human technicians to slow their breathing and reset their hands — bundles of cables trail from its arm like tendrils. Each pass lands with identical precision, as though the robot were tracing an invisible blueprint only it can see. Inside a restricted-access lab at 3M Korea’s research center in Hwaseong, the demonstration feels part workshop, part choreography. A 3M engineer stands at a console, tuning parameters and occasionally nudging the robot’s movement. “With flexible automation, the robot is now dispensing tape more precisely than a human can,” he said, watching the tape settle into flawless contours. The system — branded internally as RoboTape™ System— is built for unbroken consistency and speed, traits Korean manufacturers increasingly regard not as advantages but as survival requirements. U.S.-based materials giant 3M is now leaning on Korea’s demanding industrial environment to pressure-test and refine its next-generation automation technologies before deploying them globally. At a technology briefing Monday, company executives underscored how Korean manufacturers — known for unforgiving specifications, rapid development cycles and millimeter-level quality thresholds — are directly influencing the evolution of automated bonding, sealing and dispensing systems across appliances, displays and electric vehicles. “Korean customers require extremely detailed performance data before finalizing their product designs,” said Choi Bokyung, a senior application engineer at 3M Korea. “To complete their modeling, they need reliable simulation data for each material going into a component. We share that data actively so customers can raise the overall completeness of their designs.” That data-heavy collaboration has intensified as manufacturers race to automate tasks once handled manually, driven by rising labor costs, worker shortages and increasingly complex internal product architectures. According to 3M, robotic tape and adhesive systems not only reduce reliance on manual work but deliver uniformity that human operators cannot consistently match. Choi said labor costs — in a country known for powerful unions and high wages — are one of the strongest incentives behind automation. “When production depends heavily on manual work, quality can vary dramatically between operators,” she said. “Automation makes sure end users receive the same level of quality every time.” But the business case hinges on scale. Chung Sehoon, bonding project specialist leader at 3M Korea, noted that automation only becomes cost-effective when it replaces larger teams. “In our experience, automation doesn’t always make sense when a line has just two or three workers,” he said. “In those cases, costs may even rise. But when you’re running lines that need 10 or 20 workers, the labor savings far outweigh the automation investment.” As product designs grow more intricate, automated tape systems are entering areas once off-limits to manual work: curved appliance housings, the maze-like wiring harnesses inside refrigerators, large-format displays, and irregular surfaces beneath what appear to be flat exteriors. “Even products that look perfectly flat often contain extremely complex internal structures,” Choi said. “Automation allows tape to be applied precisely along wiring, curved edges and other irregular surfaces without relying on manual dispensing.” At the heart of 3M’s strategy is the goal of turning automated tape and adhesive solutions into a core platform technology. The company showcased two approaches: extrusion-based systems that dispense tape directly from specialized cartridges, and robotic tape systems co-developed with Canadian equipment maker Innovative Automation. “Not every tape can be automated,” Choi noted. “The material and equipment must be designed together — which is why we partner with high-quality equipment firms to ensure stable performance.” One of the clearest testing grounds is the automotive sector, where electrification has rewritten bonding requirements. Battery packs must be tightly sealed against water and contaminants yet be removable for repairs — a dual demand traditional adhesives struggle to meet. “That’s why we developed elastic sealants that preserve airtight performance while remaining removable when necessary,” said Joo Hyung Suk, director overseeing 3M’s automotive business. He said 3M’s elastic battery sealant is already used by major Korean automakers and overseas manufacturers. The material stays elastic for years, preventing moisture intrusion while allowing service teams to reopen the pack without damage. Automation is what makes these solutions viable at scale, Joo emphasized. “Automation is no longer optional. Without automated processes, achieving both price competitiveness and consistent quality is impossible.” 3M also highlighted high-strength structural adhesives — capable of bonding chassis and body components with strength approaching welding — but without the heat-induced distortion of traditional welding processes. Because the adhesives cure at room temperature, they lower energy consumption and are more compatible with lightweight materials such as aluminum and carbon-fiber composites. These decisions — from heat tolerance to load-bearing needs — are set through intensive collaboration with automakers, Joo said. Across the briefing, executives repeatedly pointed to Korea’s role as a fast-moving, high-specification market that has become a global testbed for 3M. Feedback from Korean customers is relayed to global R&D teams almost instantly, accelerating development cycles well beyond what is possible elsewhere. With automation demand rising across sectors, 3M expects its automated tape and adhesive systems not only to support Korea’s industrial competitiveness but also to anchor its next phase of global expansion. 2025-12-09 16:22:26

K-leggings stretch across Asia as XEXYMIX, Andar accelerate regional expansion SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korean athleisure brands known for form-fitting designs tailored to Asian body types are gaining strong traction across Southeast Asia, riding the broader “K-everything” wave sweeping the region. XEXYMIX, led by Chief Executive Lee Soo-yeon, said Tuesday it recently wrapped up a three-day pop-up in Jakarta — a key step in deepening its presence in Indonesia, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing fitness and wellness markets. The “XEXYMIX in the City” event, held Dec. 5–7 at About Us Brasserie, blended retail with experiential marketing, offering pilates sessions, wellness programs and collaborations with local studios including Gaon Pilates Studio. Indonesian influencers such as Namira Adzani and Jessy Kusno helped amplify the brand’s visibility, drawing both fitness enthusiasts and new customers. Industry analysts say Korean athleisure’s regional appeal stems from its meticulous, fit-driven approach — a contrast with many Western labels whose sizing and proportions often miss the mark for Asian consumers. “U.S. brands often struggle with sizing for Asian women,” said Ellen Suh, a Seoul-based consumer in her 40s. “XEXYMIX fits me the best. With a smaller lower body, I can barely find the right size in U.S. brands. Korean leggings are designed for Asian physiques, offer more size options, and pay close attention to areas like the waistline, belly pooch and lower body parts, making them more comfortable and less revealing.” XEXYMIX has been widening its Asian footprint through fitness-led partnerships and sporting events, including Indonesia’s Sundays Fest yoga event, the XEXY Braid Tennis Tournament and sponsorship of Garmin Run Indonesia. The brand already operates in Japan, Taiwan and China, and plans to enter additional Southeast Asian markets such as Thailand and the Philippines. Rival athleisure brand Andar is pursuing a similar strategy. After establishing footholds in Japan and the United States, Andar has been expanding across Asia, betting on rising demand for premium leggings that combine compression, stretch and everyday wearability. XEXYMIX said the Jakarta pop-up not only heightened brand awareness but also provided valuable insight into local preferences. “This project allowed us to engage directly with both current and potential customers,” a company spokesperson said. “We will continue to strengthen our presence by working closely with local partners and expanding our omnichannel strategy.” 2025-12-09 10:19:53

Coupang issues follow-up notice on data breach, warns against secondary damage SEOUL, December 07 (AJP) - Coupang said on Sunday that there have been no additional personal data breaches linked to the earlier incident, while urging customers to remain cautious to prevent potential secondary damage such as phishing or impersonation scams. In a follow-up notice sent to users, the e-commerce platform said the update was intended to reinforce precautionary guidance related to a data breach first announced on Nov. 29, stressing that the message does not indicate a new security incident. According to Coupang, the data exposed in the breach included customers’ names, email addresses, shipping address books — which may contain names, phone numbers, addresses and shared building entry codes — as well as limited order information. However, the company said it has repeatedly confirmed that no payment-related information such as credit card or bank account numbers, login credentials, passwords or personal customs clearance codes were compromised. Coupang added that the National Police Agency has found no cases so far of secondary damage resulting from misuse of the leaked information following a full-scale investigation. The company said it immediately blocked abnormal access routes upon identifying the breach and has strengthened internal monitoring systems. It also noted that it promptly reported the incident to relevant authorities and is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation. Coupang advised customers to avoid clicking on links from unknown sources, verify messages claiming to be from its official customer service channels, and remain cautious of phone calls or messages impersonating delivery workers, sellers or part-time job recruiters. For users who have stored shared apartment entry codes in their address books, the company recommended changing those access codes as a preventive measure. The notice was issued at the request of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Personal Information Protection Commission and the National Police Agency, according to Coupang. 2025-12-07 15:50:48

Traditional Korean liquor sales surge at convenience stores as young consumers embrace local brands SEOUL, December 07 (AJP) - Traditional Korean liquor from small regional breweries is gaining popularity at convenience stores, with sales jumping more than five-fold as trendy products attract younger consumers beyond the traditional middle-aged demographic. GS25, a major convenience store chain, said sales of traditional liquor from small breweries through its Wine25Plus online platform surged 5.4 times in the first 11 months of this year compared to the same period last year. Overall traditional liquor sales on the platform increased 2.4 times. The growth comes as breweries introduce low-alcohol products and leverage popular entertainment content for branding. National Tax Service data shows traditional liquor shipments more than doubled to 163 billion won in 2022 from 63 billion won in 2020. GS25 partnered with Daedong Yeojudo, a traditional liquor curation and distribution platform, to help small breweries expand beyond regional markets. The collaboration brought 19 small breweries onto Wine25Plus this year, with over 90 percent based in regional provinces including Gyeongsang and Jeolla. Hoegok Brewery in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, saw sales double after joining Wine25Plus, with the platform now accounting for about 30 percent of total revenue. The brewery produces trendy products using popular TV drama intellectual property. Another brewer, Han Young-seok's Fermentation Lab in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, reported a 26 percent sales increase. Hoegok Brewery's customer base among consumers in their 20s and 30s grew 65 percent this year, GS25 said, adding that restaurants and pubs have begun requesting product listings. "Wine25Plus is helping regional breweries grow from local brands to nationwide brands through our national distribution network and curation system," said Jeon Jun-young, an official at GS25's Wine25Plus. 2025-12-07 11:16:13

Korea's CJ picks safe site for first U.S. Olive Young store to test offline popularity of K-beauty SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - CJ is taking a measured approach as it prepares to plant the Olive Young flag in the world’s largest beauty market, selecting Pasadena, California, as the location for its first U.S. store — a choice driven by demographic safety, retail compatibility and the growing appeal of Korean skincare across America’s diverse consumer base. “Pasadena is not far from downtown LA, has a relatively high share of high-income residents and a retail district that fits fashion and beauty retail well,” an Olive Young official said. “It is also less congested than some other areas, which made it an attractive location for our first store.” Whether Olive Young — now the definitive gateway to K-beauty for foreign tourists in Korea — can scale across California will hinge on the May 2026 opening of the Pasadena store. The U.S. strategy will center on skincare, reflecting both global sales trends and enduring perceptions of K-beauty, the official added. “Skincare has a significantly larger weight than makeup in terms of sales and market size globally.” K-beauty’s selling point remains its disciplined ritualism. The official noted that international consumers often associate Korean skincare with the “seven-step routine,” even if most Koreans no longer practice such elaborate regimens. Educating U.S. consumers on Korean-style makeup preparation will also be part of the playbook. “For example, skincare pads used before makeup are still not widely known or commonly used in the U.S. Explaining such routines is part of our approach to introducing K-beauty.” While both skincare and makeup will be carried, the merchandising mix is expected to broadly mirror Olive Young’s Korea operations, with skincare at the core. The retailer is currently coordinating with about 400 beauty brands — consistent with its earlier disclosures — and does not expect major adjustments before launch. Marketing initiatives are still being finalized. The Pasadena store is also a strategic step to build Olive Young’s brand presence in the U.S., where awareness remains limited despite its status in Korea as a “must-visit” stop for foreign visitors. Competing against entrenched players such as Sephora, however, will require a more pragmatic layout. Unlike Olive Young N Seongsu in Seoul, which emphasizes immersive experiences and interactive merchandising, the Pasadena location will prioritize clarity over theatrics. “This will not be an experiential flagship like our Seongsu store,” the official said. “The goal is to present products and brands clearly and give consumers a better understanding of K-beauty.” The company’s cautious but calculated approach reflects both opportunity and risk: the K-beauty boom is cresting globally, but converting online and tourist-driven enthusiasm into sustained brick-and-mortar success will depend heavily on how Pasadena performs. 2025-12-05 17:10:02

Revised Commercial Act adds legal uncertainty to Korea's M&A landscape SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - South Korea’s C-suite and boards must now weigh shareholder rights as heavily as employee considerations under the revised Commercial Act, a shift posing as a setback to bold, owner-driven decision-making long associated with chaebols. The implications of the overhaul were a central focus at a capital markets and M&A seminar hosted in Seoul by law firm Shin & Kim on Thursday, where corporate lawyers and market participants examined how the revised law could reshape boardroom choices in major transactions. “There are still no clear legal precedents on how directors should navigate conflicts between different shareholder interests under the revised Act,” said Oh Jong-han, managing partner at Shin & Kim, in opening remarks. “This creates a situation where companies and directors are having to make decisions without established benchmarks on what will ultimately be judged as acceptable.” Merger ratios under closer scrutiny One of the most immediate pressure points is merger ratios. Under the revised Commercial Act, directors involved in mergers deemed to have been executed at unfair ratios now face heightened risks of shareholder damages claims, as well as potential criminal liability for breach of fiduciary duty. “In affiliated-company mergers, directors must examine far more carefully whether the deal — including its timing and exchange ratio — genuinely benefits the company’s shareholders,” said Lee Dong-geon, head of Shin & Kim’s Corporate Governance Strategy Center. “The risk profile has clearly changed. Decisions once viewed as business judgment are increasingly being scrutinized through the lens of shareholder fairness.” Shareholder losses may trigger injunctions Another area of uncertainty is whether shareholder losses could be interpreted as losses to the company itself. If courts adopt such an interpretation, shareholders may gain stronger grounds to seek injunctions halting transactions before completion, invoking their rights to preserve corporate interests. “This opens the door to preventive legal action at much earlier stages of M&A,” Lee said, noting that such remedies were previously difficult to access unless direct damage to the company could be demonstrated. Practitioners warned that this shift could significantly raise the bar for board approvals in restructurings and group transactions. Boards face higher decision-making burden While the revisions are not expected to derail routine deals, experts emphasized that complex transactions — particularly those involving related parties or capital restructuring — will now require greater procedural rigor. Boards will be expected to document their decision-making more extensively, rely on independent valuations and demonstrate clearly that a proposed transaction serves the collective interests of shareholders. “With limited case law to guide interpretation, directors are operating in a legal gray zone,” Oh said. “Until clearer standards emerge, conservative decision-making is likely to prevail.” Experts noted that the revised Commercial Act signals a structural shift in Korea’s capital markets — one that strengthens shareholder protections but also injects new uncertainty into how boards navigate high-stakes transactions. 2025-12-04 17:48:39

K-beauty brand O'ngredients gains traction at home and abroad on strong skin-barrier lineup SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - South Korean skincare brand O’ngredients is gaining momentum both domestically and overseas, backed by strong sales of its skin-barrier products and rising visibility on global e-commerce platforms. According to industry data, O’ngredients’ Skin Barrier Calming Lotion has surpassed cumulative sales of 3 million units in South Korea as of July 2025 and ranked first overall on CJ Olive Young’s online store in December 2024. The product has been one of the brand’s key drivers in the domestic market. Overseas, the brand is beginning to show early signs of traction. On Amazon US, the Skin Barrier Calming Lotion (220 milliliters) recorded sales of about 3,600 units as of November 2025, while its Skin Barrier Glow Mist entered the top 100 rankings in the lotion and face mist category within one month of its launch, according to company data. The growing international interest coincides with O’ngredients’ broader export expansion. Parent company Power Player said its founder and chief executive Kim Yu-jae recently received South Korea’s “2025 Venture Entrepreneur of the Year” award, alongside the government-backed “$5 million Export Tower,” which recognizes companies that achieve significant export milestones. The brand’s performance reflects a broader trend of K-beauty labels moving beyond trend-led marketing toward products centered on skin-barrier care and sensitive-skin solutions — a segment that is increasingly resonating with overseas consumers. O’ngredients has also expanded its offline presence, entering Costco Korea and extending distribution across major Japanese retail chains, including drugstores and specialty beauty outlets, as part of its push to strengthen its foothold in Asia. While global sales remain at an early stage compared with its domestic footprint, company data show the combination of strong repeat demand at home and improving overseas sell-through suggests the brand is positioning itself as part of the next wave of export-driven K-beauty growth. 2025-12-04 13:28:46

Samsung wins national technology award for GDDR7 as AI inference demand grows SEOUL, December 03 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics’ latest graphics memory was recognized by South Korea’s government as a key technology underpinning the country’s future AI competitiveness, amid growing industry focus on AI inference rather than model training. At the 2025 Korea Tech Festival, hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy at COEX in Seoul on Wednesday, Samsung received the Korea Technology Awards Presidential Prize for its 12-nanometer, 40 gigabits-per-second, 24-gigabit GDDR7 DRAM, according to Samsung. The award is granted annually to technologies judged to have made outstanding contributions to national industrial competitiveness. The company said the GDDR7 product is designed for graphics processing and AI computation, and has been adopted across use cases including high-end graphics cards, gaming consoles, laptops and data center servers that require thermal stability and reliability. The award comes as the AI industry shifts part of its focus from model training to inference, where cost efficiency and power consumption have become increasingly important. GDDR7 offers advantages over high-bandwidth memory (HBM) in terms of cost, power efficiency and form factor, making it suitable for large-scale inference deployments, Samsung said. Major AI platform companies are expanding adoption of graphics memory for inference workloads. Nvidia has said it plans to equip its Rubin CPX inference-focused GPU with up to 128 gigabytes of GDDR7, a move analysts say could broaden demand for high-speed graphics DRAM. Market research firm TrendForce has forecast that demand for GDDR7 will rise sharply alongside growing GPU shipments for edge AI and generative AI applications, including Nvidia’s upcoming RTX 5090 series. Samsung has been expanding its portfolio of next-generation memory products alongside GDDR7. The company said its sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory product, HBM4, based on 1c DRAM, is undergoing customer evaluation, while development is also under way for compute express link (CXL) memory modules using the CXL 3.1 standard. In addition, Samsung’s advanced research arm has published research on ferroelectric transistor technology for low-power NAND flash in the journal Nature, which the company said could significantly reduce power consumption if commercialized. Samsung also said several of its semiconductor products, including a quantum security chip and next-generation mobile memory, have been selected for innovation awards ahead of the CES 2026 technology show in Las Vegas. The Korea Technology Awards are presented annually by the government to recognize technologies deemed to strengthen the country’s industrial competitiveness, with winners selected from corporate research and development achievements. 2025-12-03 16:36:05

Olive Young a must-visit stop in Korea owe 25% of sales to foreigners SEOUL, December 03 (AJP) - A quarter of revenue at CJ Olive Young stores across South Korea now comes from foreign customers, whose purchases surpassed the 1 trillion won ($770 million) mark this year in a sharp illustration of K-beauty’s global pull, the beauty franchise said Wednesday. From January through November, spending by foreign nationals at Olive Young’s offline stores nationwide reached the milestone, marking a 26-fold increase from 2022, when Korea’s tourism industry was still emerging from the pandemic. Foreign shoppers accounted for more than 25 percent of offline sales this year, compared with about 2 percent in 2022 and just over 10 percent in 2023, as the retailer’s outlets solidified their status as a “must-visit” stop for visitors seeking Korean beauty trends. Nearly nine out of ten foreign cosmetics purchases in South Korea were made at Olive Young, according to Global Tax Free, which tracks tax-refund transactions. Shoppers from 190 countries used tax-refund services at the retailer, effectively giving it a United Nations-wide footprint and turning its nationwide network into an inbound export platform generating significant foreign-currency inflows. Shopping patterns among overseas visitors are evolving as well. According to Olive Young’s internally published report, foreign customers are buying more items, traveling farther between stores and exploring a wider range of brands. About 40 percent of foreign shoppers visited two or more Olive Young locations during their trips, moving between flagship town stores and neighborhood outlets with differing layouts and product curation. Spending outside the Seoul metropolitan area rose sharply, with purchasing in non-capital regions increasing 86.8-fold from 2022, led by Jeju, Busan and Gangwon. An Olive Young official said the chain’s blend of curated flagship stores and region-specific outlets helped attract foreign shoppers seeking both novelty and breadth. Unlike monobrand boutiques, the multi-brand format allows customers to compare and explore a broad range of Korean beauty products in a single location, the official told AJP, adding that the most visited store among foreigners is the Myeongdong Town branch. The official said frequent monthly promotions tailored to seasonal changes have also kept foreign tourists highly engaged, reinforcing Olive Young’s reputation as fast-moving and trend-driven. Accessibility has emerged as another competitive advantage as Korea’s tourist footprint widens. Tourists increasingly travel beyond Seoul, the official noted, and while duty-free shops are concentrated in limited districts, Olive Young branches are ubiquitous nationwide, from Jeju to Busan, making them an easy and familiar stop for overseas visitors. As foreign demand broadens, customers are also purchasing a wider array of brands and product categories. More than half of foreign shoppers bought items from six or more brands, while one-third purchased products from ten or more. Interest is expanding beyond beauty into wellness as sales of health and lifestyle products grow alongside skincare and makeup, reflecting the global uptake of Korean self-care routines. Olive Young said it plans to continue expanding its “global tourist commercial district” strategy, enhancing in-store services and linking offline experiences with its cross-border e-commerce platform to sustain demand after tourists return home. “Reaching 1 trillion won in foreign customer purchases is meaningful because it was achieved together with small and indie brands that met global consumers through Olive Young,” the official said. “We will continue working to ensure K-beauty becomes not only a trend, but a reason for people to revisit Korea.” 2025-12-03 16:20:30