Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Lush Prize comes to Seoul
Lush co-founder Rowena Bird / Courtesy of Lush Korea
By Park Jae-hyuk
By Park Jae-hyuk
The first Lush Prize Asia took place at CGV Cheongdam Cine City, southeastern Seoul, Friday.
Hosted by the U.K-based cosmetics company, the Lush Prize has annually rewarded scientists, trainers, lobbyists, campaigners and young researchers with 250,000 pounds ($309,000) since 2012 to support initiatives to end animal testing.
Lush held additional awards ceremonies in Vancouver and Seoul this year to support young researchers in North America and Asia to continue their work.
Three Asian researchers ㅡ Yonsei University College of Dentistry researcher Kim Mi-joo from Korea, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine student Tatsumi Kumiko from Japan and the Center for Alternatives Research & Evaluation researcher Yu Chen from China ㅡ received a total of 30,000 pounds at the event held in Seoul.
The Korean doctor has developed alternatives to animal testing in the field of testing the biological safety for dental materials. She said, “Our lab hardly had enough funding, as public awareness of animal testing in the field of dentistry has been low.”
The three winners of the first Lush Prize Asia are, from left, Tatsumi Kumiko from Japan, Kim Mi-joo from Korea and Yu Chen from China. / Courtesy of Lush Korea
Before the beginning of the event, The Korea Times interviewed Lush co-founder Rowena Bird, sales director of Korean branch Veronica Kim and international PR manager Karen Huxley.
Bird emphasized animal testing cannot prove any safety for a certain product. She said people opposed to Lush’s efforts have “the fear of change and do not want to look forward, but just take the easy path through.”
Huxley said 95 percent of clinical failure for new drugs appeared safe in animal tests, citing a presentation by Humane Society International at the Asian Congress held in Japan last week.
“We’ve moved from telephones to computers to fax to email to text messages to social media,” Bird said. “Now through computer science you can actually map the pathway (of toxins) through the human body, which is more realistic and obvious.”
Kim said Korean customers, who are very hygienically sensitive, have been misled by information saying that animal testing is mandatory to prove the safety of certain products, which is not true.
The Korean branch, where she works, hosted three expos to raise public awareness of animal testing, which enabled the Korean government to institute a ban on animal testing in the cosmetics industry coming into force next February. The government also supported establishing the first laboratory for alternative testing in Hwasun County, South Jeolla Province, which opened Wednesday.
Bird said Lush’s efforts may not seem “businessy” in the short run, but customers who recognize their efforts are finally coming back in the long run. Kim added the Korean branch has enjoyed at least double-digit growth every year for the past 15 years.
Meanwhile, scholars from Korea, China, Japan and Europe delivered speeches on trends and future outlooks on alternatives to animal testing in each area during the event. Lush Korea CEO Christina Woo said, “I wish Korea will continue to play its own role until the day when animal testing completely disappears.”