KOTRA Supports K-Beauty Armed with Halal Certification at 'Malaysia Beauty Expo'

Held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia until the 5th
Operating a 'Korean Pavilion' with 20 companies... Strengthening local market penetration

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA are continuing the K-Beauty craze in Malaysia.

On the 3rd, the two organizations announced that they are operating a Korean pavilion at the 'Malaysia Beauty Expo & Cosmobeauty 2024,' which opened on the 2nd in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This exhibition is the first event in Malaysia to combine Cosmobeauty and Beauty Expo.

Held until the 5th, the event features 20 companies supported by KOTRA and the Korea Cosmetic Association seeking to expand exports to the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region. Additionally, six companies from the Chungbuk Bio Industry-Academic Convergence Center and 14 from the Korea Beauty Industry Trade Association are participating.

On the 2nd, visitors at the integrated Korea Pavilion in the 'Malaysia Beauty Expo & Cosmobeauty 2024' held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, listened to product introductions from Korean participating companies.
[Photo by KOTRA]

KOTRA arranged one-on-one meetings with over 100 major local buyers through pre-scheduled buyer matching, providing participating companies with opportunities to enter the local market. One buyer said, "Korean functional cosmetics such as wrinkle improvement, whitening, and trouble care are very popular among local consumers."

K-Beauty recorded exports worth $120 million to Malaysia last year, ranking third in the local cosmetics import market share. The most important keyword in Malaysia's beauty market is 'Halal.' With Muslims accounting for 61.3% of the total population, there is high demand for beauty products certified Halal. The global Halal beauty market is expected to grow to $128.9 billion by 2028.

Korean companies are responding to the Malaysian market by launching locally customized Halal-certified products. K-Beauty company L achieved $80,000 in exports last year through Halal certification and also entered local department stores.

Lee Sung-ki, head of KOTRA Kuala Lumpur Trade Center, said, "Preference for K-Beauty brands remains strong in Malaysia," adding, "We will actively support expanding into the ASEAN market using Malaysia as a testbed."