The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) visited the Kolmar Korea R&D Center in Seoul on May 28 to review beauty tech products incorporating AI and advanced technologies, and held a meeting with key domestic beauty companies and related ministries to discuss regulatory support for expanding K-beauty's global reach.
Attendees included representatives from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, as well as Amorepacific, LG Household & Health Care, Kolmar Korea, Lululab, Lilycover, and Picky Global.
The meeting aimed to share the latest developments in beauty tech integrating AI and advanced technologies, and to explore government-level support measures. This reflects the expansion of K-beauty beyond product quality and design into a future industry combining AI, automation, and customization.
According to the MFDS, K-beauty achieved a record trade surplus of US$10.1 billion last year and ranked as the world's second-largest cosmetics exporter, emerging as a new growth engine for the Korean economy.
During the meeting, industry representatives proposed regulatory improvements including the introduction of new evaluation technologies incorporating advanced tech, support for developing cosmetics used with beauty devices, and regulatory support for customized cosmetics using automated equipment.
MFDS Commissioner Oh Yu-kyung stated, "K-beauty's remarkable growth is thanks to the industry's efforts to enhance global competitiveness through innovative technology development. The MFDS will continue to listen to field voices, rationally improve regulations so that innovative technologies can lead to export competitiveness, and actively communicate with the industry."
The MFDS currently operates a 'Cosmetics Global Regulatory Harmonization Support Center' providing online education on major country-specific regulations, domestic and international approval regulatory information, and global cosmetic ingredient data. For the 'Cosmetics Safety Evaluation System' set to be phased in from 2028, the agency is preparing guidelines, consulting services, and training programs for evaluation experts to help the industry implement the system smoothly.
The MFDS plans to strengthen communication with the industry and actively pursue regulatory diplomacy with major export destinations to provide policy support for the sustainable growth of the K-beauty industry.
Source: Read the original report | Published: May 29, 2026