Key Takeaways:
South Korea beauty conglomerate Amorepacific Group is ushering in its 80th anniversary with a bold vision: “Create New Beauty.” Announced at a ceremony in early September, this isn’t just a slogan—it’s a roadmap for how the legacy beauty house intends to lead the future of beauty and wellness in an increasingly global, tech-inflected marketplace.
Amorepacific may have started in 1945, but its history is rich with pioneering moments that have helped shape what we now think of as K-beauty. From launching the first Korean cosmetics research lab (1954) to inventing the cushion compact foundation (one sold every 1.2 seconds in 2016), many of today’s beauty norms have roots in the beauty giant’s innovation.
Now, with Create New Beauty, the company stakes its claim to renewed leadership. Over the next few years, it aims for overseas sales to make up 70% of revenues, KRW 15 trillion ($10.80 billion) in group sales by 2035, and a place as one of the top global premium skincare companies.
To get there, Amorepacific has laid out five strategic pillars. Each suggests specific investment, product innovation, and organizational change. The pillar, "Everyone Global," reflects a sharpened focus on localized innovation in key regions, including the US, Europe, India, the Middle East, China, Japan, and wider APAC, alongside deeper retailer partnerships abroad.
The "Holistic" pillar signals the group’s move beyond skincare into wellness, haircare, devices, and luxury anti-aging, aiming to deliver a truly integrated beauty experience. With "Ageless," Amorepacific emphasizes biotechnology-driven solutions that go beyond surface-level results to target prevention, structural improvements, and the delayed onset of aging. "AMORE Spark" underscores a push for agility and collaborative innovation, accelerating product development to meet fast-moving consumer trends. Finally, "AI First" positions artificial intelligence at the heart of the business, from R&D and production to marketing, logistics, customer service, and quality control—driving personalization, efficiency, and scale.
This refresh positions Amorepacific squarely in the intersection of several macro-beauty trends: demand for wellness, age-agnostic beauty, AI personalization, and holistic beauty regimes. The Holistic and Ageless pillars tap into consumers’ desire for integrated routines that deliver both anti-aging and wellness benefits. AI-driven operations offer the potential for enhanced speed and personalization, which beauty consumers increasingly expect.
Overseas business is already growing. Amorepacific reported overseas sales rose from 37% in 2021 to about 43% in 2024. Key brands like Laneige, Innisfree, and COSRX are seeing strong growth in the US, Europe, and the UK. This means the vision isn’t aspirational; the company is acting on it. The expansion introduces new complex market dynamics, such as regulatory, supply chain, pricing, and consumer differentiation in each region.
Amorepacific’s heritage in herbal ingredients (green tea, ginseng), breakthroughs like the cushion compact foundation, and ongoing bio-beauty research (including well-aging, structural skin science) remain core competitive advantages. The challenge will be scaling them in ways that feel relevant globally and give the company its premium positioning.
AI First and AMORE Spark imply big internal shifts: culture, talent, and process. The implementation will be harder than the strategy. Execution speed, quality control, data privacy, and staying true to the brand DNA while innovating at scale are likely to be tighropes to traverse.
Amorepacific is not just marking 80 years; it’s positioning itself as a barometer for the next generation of global beauty brands. If it hits its target, the implications are significant: a blueprint for integrating wellness, biotech, and AI at scale in the beauty sector; an example of how heritage brands can reinvent and expand their global footprint without losing their identity; and a signal that premium skincare continues to be where brands must play to win in international markets.
Create New Beauty symbolizes more than a slogan—it's Amorepacific but more integrated, more scientific, more personalized. If the company can deliver on its five strategic pillars, we may well see "new beauty" as the next frontier of K-beauty and Amorepacific right at its vanguard.
