A cluster of Korean consumer brands with growing overseas ambitions will take over Seoul’s Seongsu district this month as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) launches 2025 K-BRAND GLOW WEEK, a public showcase aimed at accelerating the global reach of small and venture-backed companies.
 
Opening on 18 December with the K-Brand Glow Awards, the program introduces international-market-ready products developed by around 110 Korean SMEs, selected through this year’s cooperation between MSS, domestic distributors and global online platforms. The showcase continues through late December, combining curated displays with hands-on brand encounters designed to translate product competitiveness into global appeal.
 
At the center of the exhibition are 80 consumer goods newly designated by the ministry as K-Export Strategic Items, a label introduced this year to spotlight products with strong export potential. A selection of these companies will be recognized during the opening awards ceremony. Alongside this, 30 K-beauty products identified through the K-Beauty Creator Challenge – run in partnership with platforms including Amazon and Shopee – will be presented, with nine companies receiving awards.
 
Activities will unfold across two locations in Seongsu-dong. While the awards ceremony takes place at S-Factory, the main exhibition and experience spaces operate out of the Yuseong Building (Yeongmujang-gil 98), where visitors can explore a broad range of Korean consumer brands through immersive and interactive formats.
 
The introduction of the K-Export Strategic Items program reflects a broader policy shift at MSS, as global demand for Korean consumer goods continues to expand alongside the international influence of Korean culture. The ministry finalized its first group of designated products in November, setting out a framework for more targeted export support.
 
Throughout the event, visitors will be invited to engage directly with products through category-focused experience zones, including interactive sessions that offer a closer look at how K-brands are developed and produced. The exhibition spaces will be open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
 
In parallel, the K-Beauty Global Insight Conference will stream live from the venue, featuring industry specialists who will examine shifting global trends, evolving consumer expectations and the strategies shaping the next phase of K-beauty’s growth.
 
MSS notes that small and medium-sized enterprises now form the backbone of Korea’s consumer-goods exports. SMEs accounted for almost 95 per cent of all exporting companies last year, while beauty and fashion alone represented roughly three-quarters of SME consumer-goods export value, highlighting the sector’s increasing weight in global markets.
 

For more news and updates on Korea’s SME and startup policies, follow the Ministry’s official LinkedIn page: Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Republic of Korea, 대한민국 중소벤처기업부