Osong Cosmetics Beauty Expo opens in Cheongju with 254 companies, the most ever
In short
The 2026 Osong Cosmetics Beauty Expo opened on 22 October at Cheongju OSCO, with 254 participating companies, the largest number ever. Yonhap reported it runs until 24 October with free admission. Overseas participants rose from 6 companies last year to 26.
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The 2026 Osong Cosmetics Beauty Expo opened on 22 October at Cheongju OSCO, Yonhap reported. It runs until 24 October, and admission is free. Chungbuk Province and Cheongju City are the organisers, and the Osong Bio Promotion Foundation runs the event. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The expo combines corporate exhibitions, export consultations, conferences and beauty experiences as a business-to-business and business-to-consumer event. Its theme is "K-Beauty Osong, Growing Together with the World." A total of 254 companies are taking part, the largest number ever. Overseas participants rose from 6 companies last year to 26 this year. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Dong-A Ilbo said the expo was set up as a cosmetics export promotion event to make Chungbuk a centre of the cosmetics and beauty industry, and that it began after the 2013 Osong Cosmetics Beauty World Expo. It said the main feature this year is a business-to-business export platform. Selected buyers, 200 in number, were chosen with KOTRA and other bodies, and Dong-A Ilbo named Japan's Ito-Yokado and Maruigroup among the large buyers. It said more than 1,200 one-to-one consultations were planned. Yonhap named Maruigroup and said the consultations were expected to exceed 1,200. [ 2 , 3 ]
Dong-A Ilbo said a growth programme for 10 promising start-ups, to help them raise funds and find sales channels, was being introduced for the first time. Yonhap reported that an investor relations and mentoring programme for 10 start-ups had started. [ 2 , 3 ]
Professional events include the French Chamber of Commerce in Korea's Europe expansion strategy seminar and the Korea Testing and Research Institute for Chemical Industry's K-clean beauty seminar, both on 22 October, according to Yonhap. Yonhap said an international biocosmetics conference and a seminar on next-generation cosmetics technology and global K-beauty innovation strategy were scheduled for 23 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
For visitors, 34 official sponsors have provided prizes for draws. Activities include AI skin diagnosis, caricatures, DIY perfume making, Life Four Cuts (인생네컷) and the Malja Show of comedian Kim Young-hee (김영희). A free shuttle bus runs every 20 minutes from the bus charging station opposite Exit 3 of KTX Osong Station to the venue. Yonhap said the doors opened at 10:00 on 22 October and the official opening ceremony was set for 14:00. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Jang Woo-seong (장우성), head of the Chungbuk bio-food and pharmaceutical bureau, said, according to Dong-A Ilbo, that the expo would give companies a chance to leap to the world and offer visitors beauty experiences and benefits. Kukmin Ilbo attributed the same remark to a provincial official. Chungbuk Governor Shin Yong-han (신용한) said, as quoted by Yonhap, that the province would create an era in which the world comes to Chungbuk, the centre of K-beauty. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
Outlets present the expo as a platform for companies to find buyers and export deals, with more than 1,200 one-to-one consultations planned. The documents give no results yet, so its business outcome is not known.
Key facts
- The 2026 Osong Cosmetics Beauty Expo opened on 22 October at Cheongju OSCO and runs until 24 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- 254 companies are taking part, the largest number ever. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Overseas participating companies rose from 6 last year to 26 this year. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Chungbuk Province and Cheongju City are the organisers, and the Osong Bio Promotion Foundation runs the event. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Admission is free, and a free shuttle bus runs every 20 minutes from opposite Exit 3 of KTX Osong Station. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Selected buyers, 200 in number, are taking part in one-to-one export consultations arranged with KOTRA and other bodies. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The expo is organised by Chungbuk Province and Cheongju City and run by the Osong Bio Promotion Foundation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- 254 companies are taking part, described as the largest scale ever. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Overseas participating companies rose from 6 last year to 26 this year. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Admission is free, with a free shuttle bus every 20 minutes from the bus charging station opposite Exit 3 of KTX Osong Station. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Sessions include the French Chamber of Commerce in Korea's Europe expansion strategy seminar and the Korea Testing and Research Institute for Chemical Industry's K-clean beauty seminar. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the 200 buyers are domestic and overseas or overseas only. Documents 1 and 2 describe 200 selected domestic and overseas buyers, while document 3 calls them 200 overseas buyers.
- How many visitors attended and what deals resulted. The documents were published at or before the opening and give no attendance or deal figures.