With Korean media taking the West by storm, with hit shows such as Squid Game and musicians like BTS, the question of what first started the Korean Wave arises. Well, some may say that it actually all started with Korean beauty (K-beauty). Furthermore, according to K-beauty brand, CosRx, known for their snail mucin, k-beauty started gaining popularity in the early to mid-2000s with unique ingredients and innovative packaging that enticed international consumers.
What sets Korean beauty apart from American cosmetics? Firstly, beauty is rooted deeply in Korean culture, with Seoul being referred to as the beauty capital of the world. Beauty is more than just a simple routine in Korea, it is engraved in their society and is seen more as a necessary measure to stay youthful in comparison to others. Korean beauty is focused on preventing any type of blemish from forming before it even starts. This has led to a culture filled with spas, facials, plastic surgery, and most famously, 10-step skincare routines.
The 10-step skincare routine was what propelled Korean beauty to the eyes of Western masses. Essence, ampoules, serums, exfoliants, sheet masks, the list goes on; the vast amount of products used in a Korean skincare routine was meant to highlight an even greater sense of self-care and treating beauty as more of an experience. Coupled with a lower price point, this resonated with the American demographic, and now Korean beauty products can be seen in multiple stores including Sephora, CVS, and Ulta. Furthermore, there is an emphasis on natural and organic ingredients that have created the perception that K-beauty products work better than others. This belief has not only improved the reception of K-beauty worldwide, but also reflects on the overall view of South Korea to consumers around the world, in the form of soft power.
According to political scientist Joseph Nye Jr, “soft power is defined as a country’s ability to influence others without resorting to coercive pressures.” In essence, soft power is all about how the world perceives a specific country, usually hoping to be seen in a positive light, or as powerful and dominant. In South Korea’s case, K-beauty has helped increase their soft power exponentially as more consumers are using it globally and generating positive results. This has led to increases in Korean media consumption as well as travel to Korea, boosting the economy. In fact, according to the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, “The number of tourists in South Korea has spiked from five million in 2000 to 17.5 million in 2019.”
After the Korean War, South Korea struggled to advance due to aftermaths of their split with North Korea as well as being placed under military rule by Chun doo-hwan, however, despite it all, throughout the years, South Korea went from one of the most underdeveloped nations in Asia to the being ranked the most advanced country in Asia in 2024, according to Yahoo Finance. Through the diffusion of Korean culture around the world, the perception of Korea has started to change, drawing positive attention to the country, with K-beauty standing as one of the main pillars that paved the way.
Works Cited
Abad-Santos, A. (2019, January 17). How the 10-step Korean skin care routine changed American skin care. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2019/1/17/17450044/korean-skin-care-10-step-routine
Florio, E. (2017, September 7). Why Seoul is the world’s beauty capital. Condé Nast Traveler. https://www.cntraveler.com/story/why-seoul-is-the-worlds-beauty-capital
HISTORY.com Editors. (2025, April 15). South Korea – President, Population & Capital | HISTORY. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/articles/south-korea
Jawad, A. (2024, July 11). The most advanced country in Asia in 2024. Yahoo Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-advanced-country-asia-2024-140136028.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIAHVFAqLXrKx12FQME5BYxJgrNOFOWH8zagL9M-Ro1uaBVFs_43U7Hxnsrs1SjVGCA8ME6zZ8dBS77dy0qS3x_owQa-qr6U9STN6BPSB3rHWpZIUk_n2LmN7BDOIFLgWaD82pf9Nq8IK0iziGqWrL10nxp6DLI3a9miMbjW_gzT#
K-Beauty Products Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by product (Skin care, hair care), by end-user, by distribution channel (Supermarkets & hypermarkets, online), by region, and segment Forecasts, 2023 – 2030. (n.d.). https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/k-beauty-products-market-report
Kwarteng, A. (2023, July 7). What is K-Beauty and why is it so advanced? Coveteur: Inside Closets, Fashion, Beauty, Health, and Travel. https://coveteur.com/what-is-k-beauty
Summers, L. (n.d.). The ‘Korean Wave’ has made a global splash. Massachusetts Daily Collegian. https://dailycollegian.com/2024/05/the-korean-wave-has-made-a-global-splash/
User. (2022, October 31). The growth of South Korean soft power and its geopolitical implication. Air University (AU). https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/JIPA/Display/Article/3212634/the-growth-of-south-korean-soft-power-and-its-geopolitical-implications/
What is soft power? (2023, May 16). CFR Education From the Council on Foreign Relations. https://education.cfr.org/learn/reading/what-soft-power
Leave a Reply