In Seoul, shopping for beauty has never been just about products. It’s an experience, often wrapped in storytelling and heritage. Several places capture this including the House of Sulwhasoo in Bukchon, where the flagship feels like a quiet dialogue between past and present. Part hanok (traditional Korean private dwellings), part Western-style home, the space is a metaphor for the brand’s philosophy: a blend of modern elegance and tradition.
Inside, visitors aren’t simply browsing shelves. They’re invited into rituals. In one room, guests craft their own ginseng-infused bath salts and room scents, blending the root that has defined Sulwhasoo’s identity for decades with a personal touch. It’s a tactile, almost meditative exercise while telling customers about a brand’s history and narrative. A masterclass in brand equity and customer relations while being a reminder that beauty here doesn’t have to be rushed. Even in a bustling city like Seoul, some things can still be enjoyed at a sweet, glacial pace.
This shift toward experiential retail reflects a larger trend in South Korea’s beauty industry. As it grows more competitive, especially with the country’s outsized influence on global culture, brands are reinventing ways consumers can interact with them. The focus is no longer purely transactional. Instead, shopping becomes immersive—a way to feel and live a brand’s philosophy, not just wear it on the skin
For Amorepacific, Korea’s largest beauty conglomerate and parent company of Sulwhasoo, this approach is central to how it sees growth in the years ahead. “As Korea’s cultural influence continues to expand worldwide, the cosmetics industry is also seeing strong growth,” says Sean Kim, CEO of Amorepacific. “Our strategic focus will be on North America, Europe and Japan over the next five years, while we also lay the groundwork for more long-term opportunities in India and the Middle East.”
That global outlook is mirrored in Sulwhasoo’s Bukchon flagship. Jungyeon Kim, Head of Sulwhasoo Global Marketing Division, explains that the space is more than a store—it’s a cultural destination. “The coexistence of a Western-style house and a hanok within one space reflects one of the brand’s core philosophies—the connection between past and present,” she says. “Sulwhasoo’s identity is communicated consistently across regions, while admiration for Korean heritage continues to grow on a global level.”
A stark contrast to the heritage-driven Bukchon flagship is Amore Seongsu, Amorepacific’s multi-brand store in Seoul’s hip Seongsu district. Where Bukchon is about intimacy, ritual, and cultural immersion, Amore Seongsu offers a more experimental, trend-forward experience: a sprawling space where visitors can test new launches, explore rotating brand showcases, enjoy a bit of nature, and engage with beauty as a playground of possibilities. Yet despite their differences, both destinations reflect the same overarching vision of the company—to connect beauty with culture, storytelling, and innovation, whether through the traditional elegance of Sulwhasoo or the dynamic energy of Amore’s younger portfolio.
But heritage alone doesn’t keep younger generations engaged. Gen Z and younger millennials are shaping the way beauty brands tell their stories. They’re asking for more than efficacy; they want philosophy, design, and cultural relevance. “The value of holistic beauty that Sulwhasoo pursues—achieving balanced and healthy skin—resonates strongly with younger generations as well,” Jungyeon Kim notes. “We also continue to monitor their skin concerns and needs in product development, while striving to maintain a contemporary aesthetic in our design.”
This focus mirrors broader consumer trends across Asia. Where anti-aging once dominated the conversation, the language has shifted to “well-aging” and “skin longevity.” More inclusive and less combative. The emphasis is less on turning back the clock than on maintaining skin health over time. One of the brand’s best sellers, the Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cream, was developed from more than six decades of ginseng research. Combined with modern biotechnology, it reflects this shift—positioning skincare as a way to support resilience and elasticity rather than promising instant transformation.
The numbers tell the story of why Korea sits at the center of this global conversation. The South Korean beauty and personal care market is projected to reach US$13.7 billion in 2024, with skincare continuing to dominate consumer spending. On a per capita basis, Koreans spend around US$493 annually on beauty—far higher than the global average.
Neighboring Japan, by comparison, commands a much larger total value, estimated at US$47.34 billion in 2024, with skincare alone accounting for US$22.31 billion. The United States still leads as the single biggest beauty market, valued at US$96.1 billion in 2024, but South Korea consistently punches above its weight in influence, exporting not only products but entire beauty philosophies that shape consumer behavior worldwide.
The channel of discovery has also shifted. Online sales in Korea’s beauty sector are booming, with e-commerce contributing over 25% of total sales in 2024, underscoring how digital platforms now drive storytelling as much as in-person flagships. Globally, the appetite for such innovation is growing. According to The Business Research Company, the global aesthetic medicine market is expected to grow from US$73.7 billion in 2025 to US$102.3 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 8.6%, with the Asia-Pacific region identified as the fastest-growing market in that span. Consumer preference for personalized, heritage-driven experiences is helping fuel that growth, with Korea often serving as the testing ground for trends that ripple across the world.
Against this backdrop, destinations like the House of Sulwhasoo aren’t just showpieces. They’re strategic, living testaments to how Korean beauty defines itself at home while shaping perceptions abroad through soft power and e-commerce. For international visitors, they offer immersion into a culture where beauty is inseparable from philosophy. For locals, they serve as extensions of daily rituals, seamlessly connecting self-care with their own heritage.
Seoul may be filled with beauty counters, but in Bukchon and Seongsu, the act of shopping feels different. Creams aren’t just left on display; they’re contextualized within decades of research. And architecture? It houses products while telling a story of tradition and how it can meet and coexist with modernity.
For Amorepacific, it’s a reminder that global ambitions start at home. And for anyone walking out of the Sulwhasoo flagship—ginseng bath salts and room fragrances tucked into a bag alongside a jar of cream—it’s proof that in Seoul, beauty shopping is less about acquisition than about experience.