Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Korea Beauty Festival draws record 145,000 international visitors
International visitors receive a free personal color analysis during the Korea Beauty Festival in Seoul in this photo from July. Courtesy of Visit Korea Committee
By Lee Hae-rin
The Korea Beauty Festival attracted a record 145,000 visitors from 151 countries during its month of events, according to the Visit Korea Committee (VKC) Tuesday.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the VKC and the Korea Tourism Organization, the monthlong event concluded on July 18, reflecting growing international interest in Korean hair care and makeup, fashion, health and wellness.
This year’s turnout marks a 30 percent increase in attendance compared to last year, underscoring Korea’s growing status as a worldwide beauty and lifestyle leader. A total of 527 companies took part — 128 more than 2024 — signaling broad industry engagement across beauty, travel and shopping sectors, the committee said.
The festival launched on June 19 with an opening ceremony at Dongdaemun Design Plaza’s K-Beauty Town and rolled out a series of immersive events at key Seoul destinations, including Myeong-dong, Hongdae, Seongsu, Dongdaemun, Cheonggye Stream and Gangnam.
Attractions ranged from one-on-one business consultations and hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) experiences to innovative medical wellness demonstrations such as eye exams and ear therapy. At the festival hub alone, more than 16,000 guests crowded into hands-on exhibitions during the first four days.
Visitors found the festival welcoming and accessible, with multilingual programs introducing the latest K-beauty trends alongside Korean traditional aesthetics.
“It’s great that you can experience all facets of K-beauty here. The diversity of programs and use of foreign languages made it easier to participate,” a German tourist who visited the main venue said, according to the VKC.
International travelers pose in front of the Korea Beauty Festival welcome center in Seoul during the monthlong festival in July. Courtesy of Korea Visit Committee
The festival’s economic impact was also significant. On opening day, 99 domestic and international companies, along with 170 buyers and sellers, conducted nearly 600 business meetings, resulting in over 100 signed contracts and memorandums of understanding worth an estimated 3.16 billion won ($2.3 million).
Over 72,000 international travelers visited the festival’s welcome center in Seoul while promotional hubs, dubbed “K-beauty trend spots,” received over 56,000 visitors.
Airline and travel promotions tied to the event spurred the sale of some 149,000 discounted airfares and more than 8,300 K-beauty-themed travel packages, organizers said.
A survey found that 98 percent of international attendees reported high satisfaction, citing the variety of K-beauty brand offerings and immersive experiential programs as key factors.
Among corporate participants, 90 percent expressed satisfaction, with smaller brands noting rare opportunities to connect directly with overseas consumers.
“This year’s festival clearly demonstrated the limitless potential of K-beauty as a fusion of culture, tourism and industry,” a VKC official said. “The committee will continue to leverage K-beauty to attract even more international visitors.”