Beauty platform Gangnam Unni rebrands to spearhead global expansion

A promotional image for Gangnam Unni's mobile platform / Courtesy of Gangnam Unni

Healing Paper, the operator of Korea's leading cosmetic procedure platform Gangnam Unni, said Wednesday it has overhauled its brand identity, unveiling a new logo and mission as it positions itself as a "beauty navigator" for users worldwide.

Gangnam Unni lets users compare prices and reviews for elective cosmetic and dermatology procedures — treatments not covered by Korea's national health insurance — and book hospital appointments.

The company said the rebrand reflects a shift from simply providing pricing and review information to guiding users through the entire process, from finding a treatment to aftercare. Its new mission statement: helping anyone in the world feel confident in choices about looking like themselves.

The app's redesign centers on three values — confidence, ease and relationship — meant to strengthen review verification, expand guidance content on the app's main screen and add features such as treatment-cycle tracking for returning users.

Starting in July, the company is running an ad campaign built around the tagline "Confidence in my choice."

The platform's global brand name has also been unified as "Unni" — Korean for "older sister," the term the app has long used informally — as it expands into international markets.

Foreign bookings on the app grew sharply over the past year, rising thirteenfold from Thailand and twelvefold from Chinese-speaking markets. Japan remains its largest overseas market, with 550,000 Japanese users booking appointments through the app over the past year.

"We plan to accelerate our expansion into Thailand in the second half of this year," a Gangnam Unni official said.

The platform has more than 9.5 million users globally.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.