Incheon K-Beauty Targets Melbourne, Launches First Pop-up at Melbourne Central

[Financial News] Under the direction of Incheon Metropolitan City Government and Incheon Technopark, 10 cosmetics exporters from Incheon have launched a push into the K-Beauty market in Melbourne, Australia. The plan is to boost the overseas expansion prospects of small and medium-sized companies with limited export experience by letting them test product competitiveness directly with local consumers while also holding meetings with buyers.
According to industry sources on the 28th, Sung Hak Kim, vice chairman for trade at the World OKTA headquarters and head of Australian General Services (AGS), is working with Incheon Metropolitan City Government and Incheon Technopark to run the K-Beauty promotion at Melbourne Central Shopping Centre from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1.
The event focuses on helping first-time exporters, who struggle to secure overseas sales channels, meet local consumers and buyers in person. Rather than simply displaying products, it combines a week-long field test of consumer response with promotional sales.
Melbourne Central is one of the city’s landmark shopping malls. The event space was set up near the large music clock on the first floor, where foot traffic is especially heavy, to expand contact with local consumers. This is the first K-Beauty pop-up event ever held at Melbourne Central.
Organizers estimate that at least 5,000 people will visit the event. On site, they are introducing Korean skincare and beauty products while carrying out promotions and sales. The booth itself was also decorated with eco-friendly materials such as recycled cardboard, highlighting sustainability not only in the products but also in the event operations.
Another feature of the promotion is that it is pursuing both business-to-consumer and business-to-business sales at the same time. While introducing brands and products to general consumers on site, the 10 participating companies from Incheon are also holding B2B meetings with local buyers both online and offline. The strategy goes beyond a simple market test of consumer response and aims to connect directly to export consultations and new sales channels.
Melbourne is seen as an Australian market with room for further expansion from the perspective of Korean companies. Although the city has a population of more than 5.5 million, Korean firms have focused relatively heavily on Sydney, leaving Melbourne somewhat behind in market penetration. Interest in Korean culture is also growing, with Australia’s first official Koreatown recently established in Melbourne.
Growing interest in K-food and Korean culture is also expected to spill over into consumer goods such as cosmetics. Kim Jin-hwan, who helped prepare the event, said, "More Australians and Asian immigrants are looking for Korean food, culture and products here," adding, "Because the spread of the Korean Wave came relatively late, there is still room for market growth in the future."
Starting with this event, more Korea-related events are expected to follow in Melbourne. In the first week of November, a "Korea Week" program is scheduled, including a Hallyu Expo and a Korea Festival, with participation and cooperation from the Consulate General, KOTRA and the World OKTA Melbourne chapter. The K-Beauty promotion could therefore tie in with the broader spread of Korean culture in the city through the end of the year, moving beyond a simple product test by individual companies.
Access between Korea and Melbourne is also expected to improve. Korean Air plans to operate a temporary direct Incheon-Melbourne route from December through March 2027. As interest in Korean culture and products grows locally, increased people-to-people exchanges between the two countries are expected to further support Korean companies seeking to enter the Melbourne market.
Meanwhile, Sung Hak Kim, who is leading the event, serves as vice chairman for trade at the World OKTA headquarters. Kim received the Order of Industrial Service Merit in 2020 and has supported the entry of Korean products into the Australian market, including helping secure exports of Ganghwa Island rice to Australia last year. He is also preparing for the World OKTA Korea Business Expo, which will be held in Shenzhen, China, from Oct. 8, while continuing to organize events in Australia.


[email protected] Choi Doo-sun Reporter