South Korea creates counterfeit council as K-beauty expands

South Korea is establishing a joint government council to target a surge in counterfeit K-beauty products. The move comes as Korean cosmetics companies double down on their expansion strategies, with innovation investments and partnerships strengthening the sector’s global reach. 

South Korea’s Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Startups, and the Ministry of Intellectual Property (IP) will form the council. Together, the agencies aim to protect Korean exporters, as black-market fakes grow into an industry already worth billions.

According to the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency (KIPPA), counterfeit Korean products, ranging from food to fashion to beauty, are growing. The agency says the number of fake K-brand products blocked on global online shopping platforms rose from 160,000 in 2023 to 210,000 last year.

The surge of K-beauty fakes comes as the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has announced another record-breaking trade figure. According to the organization, South Korean cosmetic exports hit US$7 billion in H1 2026, marking a 27.3% rise year-on-year.

As the government works to protect one of its most profitable sectors, K-beauty companies are amping up their growth strategies. Amorepacific, particularly, has entered multiple partnerships to reinforce K-beauty’s global stronghold.

Meanwhile, US-based Mary Kay is launching a made-in-Korea skin care line, and Western social media content creators are partnering with Korean cosmetics brands to spread K-beauty-centered routines online.

Curbing copycats

To target the production and spread of counterfeit Korean-brand beauty products, the Ministry of SMEs and the Ministry of IP will share information they receive on fakes and coordinate their response through overseas support centers.

Mary Kay brings Korean-made skin care to consumers in 40 markets.The SMEs and Startups Agency runs 22 of these centers, called Global Business Centers, in 14 countries, and major metropolises like New York, Tokyo, and Beijing. The agency plans to link its export programs with overseas IP protection programs, so that companies that advise on exporting can get help in both areas. 

The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency and KIPPA plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to formalize their cooperation.

A-game expansions

Amorepacific has entered a number of strategic partnerships that are set to expand K-beauty’s influence and reach.

The company has invested in Junevity, a San Francisco, US-based wellness company, through Amorepacific Ventures, its corporate venture arm. The investment, and accompanying collaboration, aims to research skin-aging and produce cosmetic products that target it. 

Under the biotechnology partnership and a separate licensing agreement for cosmetic applications, Junevity will use its Reset Platform, which combines human disease data, genetic links, and machine learning, to discover skin-aging pathways.

“The next generation of skin health innovations will be informed by deeper research-driven insights into the biology of skin aging, particularly the role of gene networks and transcriptional regulation in longevity,” says Brian Byung-Fhy Suh, chief technology officer of Research and Innovation, at Amorepacific.

“The work by the team at Junevity and their Reset platform will enable us to explore novel pathways underlying skin aging and advance our research toward longevity solutions. Through this joint research, we also aim to explore hybrid technologies through collaboration across adjacent fields, opening new possibilities for long-term skin health.”

In a separate move, Amorepacific signed a business agreement with Korea Venture Investment Corporation, a state-backed fund-of-funds. The deal aims to identify and build up promising Korean cosmetics start-ups and help them grow into global corporations, supporting the future of K-beauty brands.

The pair will recommend companies for innovation collaboration, review what start-ups are worth funding, and offer investment incentives for bigger companies. The public-private partnership aims to connect the K-beauty industry directly with the venture investment market, a move Wall Street is mirroring.

A third development saw Amorepacific partner with Kurly, a South Korean e-commerce platform, to develop exclusive products for the platform’s beauty division, with joint marketing initiatives. 

The duo’s agreement includes a dedicated “Kurly Only” product line, sold exclusively through Beauty Kurly. It also expands Amorepacific’s brands on the platform, including Sulwashoo, Hera, and Aestura.

Biodance teams up with makeup influencers to promote its skin care products online.Through the partnership, Kurly gains access to Amorepacific’s product development capabilities, while Amorepacific is set to benefit from the retailer’s consumer insights. It also adds another route for the K-beauty giant to develop retailer-exclusive products and deepen its presence in South Korea’s digital beauty retail market. 

Borderless growth

Beyond the domestic maneuvers that bolster Korean beauty, international moves are also cementing the country’s cosmetic influence. Texas-based Mary Kay has launched a special-edition skin care collection called the K-Beauty Texture Edit, which includes three products made in Korea.

The collection is available in 40 markets, on the company’s website, and through its Independent Beauty Consultants. It features a cleansing balm, snail gel face patches, and a collagen moisturizing gel, designed to bring K-beauty sensory trends to its consumers in familiar formats.

The company says the collection builds on the momentum of its global brand platform, Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared, which launched in September.

“Mary Kay’s legacy has always been rooted in innovation, listening to consumers, and evolving with the culture of beauty around the world,” says Dr. Lucy Gildea, chief brand and scientific officer at Mary Kay.

“The K-Beauty Texture Edit brings that spirit to life by translating global beauty trends into meaningful experiences for consumers and our Independent Beauty Consultants.”

As Western beauty culture increasingly makes room for K-beauty, Biodance skin care has partnered with makeup artists Patrick Ta from the US and NikkieTutorials from the Netherlands. The collaboration ran a number of video tutorials from both artists on social media, aiming to highlight the importance of skin preparation before makeup.

The artists shared their skin prep routines using Biodance products, including the brand’s Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask, the Caviar PDRN Serum and Capsule Cream, and the Collagen Peptide Jelly Serum Mist.

The collaboration shows how capturing interest on social media can benefit K-beauty brands in helping build international recognition and demand. With K-beauty increasingly becoming a household name in any beauty consumer’s vocabulary, more online visibility will convert into more influence.