By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) announced on Oct. 17 that it has begun accepting applications from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for participation in the "2025 K-Beauty Creator Challenge".
Launched in 2024, this public–private collaborative initiative aims to discover promising export-oriented SMEs in the cosmetics and beauty sector and support their entry into global markets.
Last year, out of 178 companies seeking to expand into the U.S. market, ten were selected to receive marketing consulting from global platform operators such as Amazon, along with government export support through Export Voucher Program.
This year, in response to growing demand among SMEs to diversify export destinations amid changes in U.S. trade policy, the program will expand its focus beyond the United States to include Japan and Southeast Asia, covering a total of three regions. Participating companies will go through a multi-stage evaluation process - preliminary, semi-final, and final rounds - with three companies to be selected per region, resulting in a total of nine finalists.
To enhance the global competitiveness of participating companies, MSS will also provide tailored professional consulting in collaboration with global platform operators. This includes support for overseas market entry preparation, training for online platform registration, and one-on-one marketing strategy refinement.
The final winners will benefit from direct placement on global e-commerce platforms, as well as marketing and branding support to strengthen recognition and boost sales. In addition, the government will connect them with export assistance program such as Export Voucher and international certification support. Start-ups will also receive preferential consideration when applying for early-stage start-up support packages.
Eligible applicants include SMEs in the cosmetics and beauty sector - such as inner beauty and beauty device companies - with annual exports under USD 5 million as of the previous year. Entrepreneurs with prototype-level products are also eligible to apply.
Lee Soon-bae, Director-General for Global Growth Policy at MSS, stated, "K-Beauty, which has firmly established itself as Korea's top SME export category since 2023, plays a crucial role not only in globalizing Korean beauty products but also in driving the overseas expansion of a wide range of outstanding SME products."
He added, "The Ministry will continue to provide strong policy support to sustain the dynamic and innovative ecosystem of the beauty industry, where creative ideas can swiftly turn into products and reach consumers both at home and abroad."
