SME minister visits Kolmar plant amid K-beauty boom

Kolmar Korea said Sunday that Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee So-young visited its cosmetics plant in Sejong on Friday to discuss ways to help small and independent K-beauty brands expand overseas amid surging global demand for Korean skincare products.

Lee toured the manufacturing facility and met with Kolmar Korea executives and ministry officials to discuss industry challenges and measures to strengthen the competitiveness of Korean cosmetics manufacturers.

As Korea's first cosmetics original design manufacturer, or ODM, Kolmar Korea provides smaller beauty brands with product development, manufacturing and quality control services, helping them expand overseas without operating their own factories.

The visit comes amid record K-beauty exports. South Korea's cosmetics exports, including shipments by both large companies and SMEs, reached approximately $7.34 billion in the first half of 2026. Skincare products accounted for $5.48 billion, or 74.7 percent of the total, underscoring strong global demand for Korean skincare.

Of the total, small and medium-sized enterprises exported $5.07 billion worth of cosmetics, up 30.7 percent from a year earlier, making cosmetics the country's largest SME export category.

Kolmar Korea focuses on skincare and sun-care products, which account for 50 percent and 26 percent of its sales, respectively. Its Sejong plant, with an annual production capacity of 890 million cosmetic units, serves as a key manufacturing base for both categories. The company's skincare and sunscreen products, which have gained popularity overseas, are all produced at the facility.

To meet growing global demand, Kolmar Korea plans to expand production at the plant. The company closed its Beijing factory earlier this year and was designated a reshoring company after deciding to strengthen its manufacturing operations in Korea.

"We will do our best to help small and independent brands strengthen their competitiveness in overseas markets," Kolmar Korea CEO Choi Hyun-kyu said. "We will also continue working closely with our clients to support the growth of K-beauty."