Osong Beauty Expo Secures Nearly $100 Million in Export Deals
A three-day cosmetics exhibition in Cheongju brought together 254 companies and hundreds of overseas and on-site buyers, reinforcing Osong’s role as an export platform for Korea’s beauty industry.
A major cosmetics exhibition in central South Korea generated export contracts worth nearly $100 million, underscoring the international reach of the country’s beauty industry and the growing commercial role of regional trade events.
The Cosmetics & Beauty Expo Osong Korea 2026 ran from Thursday through Saturday in Osong, a district of Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province. The venue is about 83 kilometers south of Seoul. According to the provincial government, more than 17,400 people visited during the three-day event.
The 13th edition of the expo assembled 254 cosmetics companies from Korea and overseas. Organizers also brought in 200 invited buyers representing 37 countries, while another 329 buyers registered at the event. That mix gave participating businesses access to both prearranged overseas contacts and additional buyers who joined on site.
The nearly $100 million contract total gives the expo a measurable business outcome beyond consumer attendance. It also provides organizers with a clear benchmark for future editions. For smaller and regional cosmetics companies, international exhibitions can provide a direct route to distributors and retail partners in markets that would otherwise be costly to enter. The number and geographic spread of participating buyers also reflect continuing overseas interest in Korean cosmetics and related products.
Business matching was accompanied by industry discussions. More than 300 experts and officials attended seminars covering emerging technologies, market trends and commercial opportunities. The program positioned the gathering not only as a product showcase but also as a forum for companies and policymakers to examine changes shaping the global beauty market.
North Chungcheong Province said it intends to use the event to support overseas expansion and export growth for local companies. Governor Shin Yong-han also presented the expo as part of a broader effort to establish the province as a global K-beauty hub.
The results highlight how provincial governments are using specialized exhibitions to connect local producers with international demand. Osong already has a concentration of health and life-science activity, and a recurring beauty expo adds a commercial gateway for cosmetics businesses seeking foreign buyers. With hundreds of companies and buyers attending, this year’s event demonstrated that regional industry platforms can contribute directly to Korea’s consumer-goods exports.