The Worldfolio: KOHONJIN: Building a Global Future for Luxury Korean Skincare

SOUTH KOREACOSMETICSASIA-PACIFICSOUTH KOREAK-BEAUTYKOREAN BEAUTYKOREAN COSMETICCOSMETICSCOSMETICS & BEAUTY
KOHONJIN: Building a Global Future for Luxury Korean Skincare
Interview – September 28, 2026

YANGPIL KO | CEO OF KOHONJIN

What are the fundamental strengths behind K-beauty’s rise as a global industry, and what will Korean brands need to do to turn today’s momentum into sustainable global competitiveness?

I believe the core strengths of K-beauty are creativity and innovation. Korean consumers respond very quickly to trends, but they are also extremely demanding evaluators and analysts. The constant effort required to meet their expectations has naturally helped Korean beauty companies develop global competitiveness

Korea also benefits from a strong industrial ecosystem, including fast distribution networks, world-class OEM and ODM manufacturers, a highly developed packaging industry. This makes it easier for independent brands and start-ups with innovative ideas to enter the market

That infrastructure allows products to be developed and launched quickly, while consumer feedback can be reflected just as rapidly, creating a virtuous cycle

Going forward, however, Korean brands cannot simply follow market trends or rely on the temporary popularity of Korean culture. We need to continue developing better technologies and more differentiated ingredients while providing clear scientific evidence of product efficacy. Ultimately, consumers are very straightforward: is it a good product or not? Products built only around short-term trends cannot remain sustainable over the long term.

As K-beauty expands from online discovery into established global retail, how do you see the respective roles of digital and physical channels evolving?

In the past, brands relied on a wide variety of channels, including online advertising, social media, and platforms such as Meta, to continuously present themselves visually to consumers

I believe marketing will become simpler and more intuitive in the future. It will no longer be enough for consumers simply to recognize a brand visually online. They will increasingly want opportunities to experience products directly, feel them for themselves, and make their own judgments

Online channels are very effective for building brand awareness and shaping brand image, while offline channels allow consumers to actually experience products and build greater trust. I believe these two sides will increasingly reinforce one another, creating a virtuous cycle between online discovery and offline experience. This kind of omnichannel structure will continue to develop further

As expectations around efficacy, ingredients, and value continue to rise, how are skincare brands adapting product development to demonstrate meaningful differentiation?

Ultimately, the most important thing in cosmetics is efficacy. What matters is whether a product delivers real improvements to the consumer’s skin and whether consumers are satisfied with those results. Rather than simply marketing a product by saying, “Our cosmetics are good,” I believe companies need to show consumers measurable results based on scientific evidence. That is why we prioritize the development of high-quality ingredients and work to generate objective evidence through clinical testing and other forms of data.

Consumers will increasingly want to see clear numerical evidence of efficacy, and they will become more sophisticated in comparing product performance with price. At the same time, the methods used to measure and substantiate these results will continue to advance. For Kohonjin, the goal is to ensure that our proprietary ingredients and their efficacy translate into clear, measurable results for consumers.

Why are concentrated formats such as serums and ampoules becoming so important in anti-aging skincare, and how durable do you expect that consumer preference to be?

Serums and ampoules are particularly well suited to delivering concentrated active ingredients effectively to the skin. I believe highly concentrated formulations will continue to evolve in ways that are simpler and more intuitive for consumers. Standards of beauty may change, but the desire to maintain youthfulness does not. For that reason, I believe demand for anti-aging skincare will remain strong for a long time.

Looking back at Kohonjin’s development since 2015, what have been the most important turning points in building the company and establishing the brand’s premium position?

Today, approximately 60% of Kohonjin’s total sales come from repeat purchases. In other words, a significant proportion of our revenue comes from customers who have already used our products and choose to purchase them again

From the beginning, we did not approach the business by immediately pursuing exports or expanding through multiple channels simply to increase sales. Our starting point was that we first needed to earn recognition from consumers in the domestic market. Even today, I believe it is more important to become a company recognized by consumers than one recognized simply for its revenue

That is why I came to believe that, rather than being a company that generates KRW 10 billion in sales for one year, it is more meaningful to build a company that can generate KRW 100 million every year for 100 years. Instead of rushing to follow rapidly changing trends, I wanted to build a strong and enduring company that remains focused on the quality of its products

The Black Label line, led by Inno Cream, Fleurko Ampoule, and Skin Base, includes proprietary ingredients such as s-Spider Pentapeptide and ginsenosides. How do these ingredients and Kohonjin’s spicule delivery technology differentiate the products, and how difficult would they be for competitors to replicate?

Kohonjin’s proprietary technologies combine differentiated active ingredients, including our spider-silk peptide, with our spicule-based delivery technology. Spicules are fine particles that support the delivery and absorption of active ingredients, helping their benefits to be expressed more effectively

I do not believe it is impossible for other companies to imitate or benchmark our proprietary technologies, nor do I think it should be impossible. In fact, stronger competition encourages companies to develop more innovative technologies and better ingredients. I believe that kind of continuous competition, innovation, and technological advancement will ultimately contribute to the future development of K-beauty.

Kohonjin approaches its products as “masterpieces.” You also place a strong emphasis on art at your headquarters and at the Busan Lounge. How important are these spaces to Kohonjin’s brand identity and positioning?

First of all, I am deeply grateful that you described our products as “masterpieces.” For Kohonjin, our physical spaces are an extension of the philosophy we want the brand to represent. When we designed our headquarters, we wanted it to be more than simply a place where employees work together. We spent a great deal of time thinking about how to create an environment where employees could experience culture and art, while also having somewhere to relax and recharge.

The same philosophy applies to our Busan Lounge. We did not want it to be simply a place where customers come and rest. We wanted to create something more—an environment where people can experience culture and art while also gaining a deeper understanding of Kohonjin and the philosophy behind the brand

Of the broad range of products Kohonjin offers, which is your personal favorite?

That is a very difficult question. Personally, I use our mask packs quite often at home because they are very intuitive products and the effects are easy to experience directly

Rather than saying I have one absolute favorite, I would say the Fleurko Ampoule is the product that makes me think, “We really made this well.” From the perspective of technological development, I believe it represents one of the highest points we have reached. At the same time, Inno Cream is the product we are pushing most strongly, and I believe it brings together the different elements of our technology most comprehensively. So ultimately, I like all our products.

Fleurko Ampoule was featured in British Vogue in 2026. How important is that kind of international visibility as Kohonjin looks to expand globally?

I do not see being featured in Vogue as meaning that we have already been fully recognized. I see it more as a first knock on the door—the beginning of the journey. Of course, we would like Kohonjin to be introduced in more authoritative and influential publications in the future. But before that, I believe our products should first be sufficiently validated by consumers themselves

Rather than relying on marketing recognition first, I would like us to earn genuine recognition from consumers and then naturally appear in the publications and media that those consumers value. Ultimately, consumer recognition must come first

North America and Europe are two important markets for Kohonjin’s global expansion. How do you view these markets, and what would success there mean for the company?

North America and Europe are among the world’s most established cosmetics markets, and they are also at the forefront of innovation and technological development. For Korean K-beauty companies to keep pace with these markets, we need to continue investing in innovation, technological development, and continuous improvement

The barriers to entry in North America and Europe are high, but precisely because those barriers are high, being accepted and recognized in these markets carries significant meaning. I believe these markets will become even more demanding and their barriers to entry will continue to rise. K-beauty therefore needs to invest even more heavily in technological development in order to keep pace

What is Kohonjin’s strategy for distribution and marketing in North America and Europe?

We are placing significant emphasis on online and platform-based channels, while at the same time expanding our offline presence through high-end department stores. In France, for example, we have entered a department-store channel and are currently in discussions regarding additional high-end department-store opportunities

Online marketing is important because it introduces consumers to the brand. However, I believe the most important thing is creating offline spaces where customers can actually experience our products for themselves. Consumers can first encounter Kohonjin visually through online marketing, but we then want them to experience the products offline and evaluate the results directly

That is why we are continuing to develop and expand these kinds of experiential channels

In Europe more broadly, our approach is centered on the idea of “quiet luxury,” including premium anti-aging experiences through aesthetic channels, resorts, and other environments where consumers can experience the products directly. In North America, we also plan to continue building awareness through initiatives such as KCON LA pop-ups and social media. Prestigious permanent stores and partnerships with major global distributors are important, but our first priority is for consumers to recognize the quality and performance of our products.

How have KOS&PACK and the in-house research institute strengthened Kohonjin’s ability to develop products for international markets?

Through the establishment of our subsidiary KOS&PACK and our in-house R&D institute, we have integrated the entire process, from planning and R&D through packaging and production coordination. This has enabled us to build a system that can respond quickly to the regulatory requirements of different countries

Looking ahead over the next five years, what is your vision for Kohonjin, and what will be most important in making that vision a reality?

It may sound fundamental, but our first priority is customer satisfaction. To achieve customer satisfaction, continuous technological development is essential. But even before technology development and customer satisfaction, I believe the most fundamental element is trust between the company and its employees

That mutual trust is extremely important. We place great importance on creating a culture in which the company trusts its employees and employees trust the company. I want everyone within the organization to understand Kohonjin’s vision and move forward together toward the same goals

On that foundation, we want to continue developing our technology and give customers confidence that Kohonjin is a brand capable of leading the premium anti-aging category. Ultimately, authentic product quality and technological development must come before glamorous marketing

For more information, please check out their website: https://kohonjinglobal.com