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Skin, K-beauty, Korea trips and the beauty industry — ask and share
How does Spanish-language media cover K-beauty? Hype vs analysis
In recent months, business and beauty outlets in Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Spain have published plenty of pieces on the Korean cosmetics "boom". Read together, they show two very different tones: The "trend" tone Head
0 0Next Mega Wari: what's going in your cart?
When Mega Wari gets close, Japanese social media fills up with "cart reveals" and restock lists. The patterns people mention most: Lots of shoppers stock up on skincare they finish regularly At the change of seasons, sun
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0 0How to check if a Korean clinic is registered to treat foreign patients
When picking a dermatology clinic in Korea, it's easy to go by social media reviews or an agency's say-so. There's one official check you can add: whether the clinic is registered to attract foreign patients. What is it?
0 0Japanese visitors to Korea hit a record in 2025: the "go to Korea today" era
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 3.65 million Japanese travellers visited Korea in 2025, a new record. The 2026 target is 4.5 million (up 23%). Here is what Japanese travel trade site Travel Voice reported ab
0 0@cosme's H1 2026 awards: the word Japan and Korea share is PDRN
istyle, the company behind Japan's @cosme review site, published a column comparing its first-half 2026 Best Cosmetics winners across Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Here is what stands out for K-beauty fans. Skincar
0 0Planning skin treatments in Seoul? The 10% VAT refund for foreigners has ended
If you are budgeting a derm trip to Korea from old blog posts, one line needs updating. The special VAT refund for foreign patients on cosmetic procedures expired on December 31, 2025. What it was: Introduced in 2016, it
0 0Skin clinic before-and-after photos and social reviews: how much do you trust them?
Search for a Korean skin clinic and you'll find endless before-and-after photos, influencer visits and translated reviews. "Can I trust this review?" is a question that pops up on travel forums all the time. The opinions
0 0Planning around autumn leaves in Korea: how to time it without guessing
Autumn is one of the most requested seasons in Korea travel threads, and the big worry is always the same: will the leaves actually be there when I arrive? How people plan around it Colour usually starts in the mountains
0 0800 sheet masks in one place: a roundup of the Central Myeongdong Town mask library
When Olive Young Central Myeongdong Town opened, one of the most talked-about spots was its sheet-mask library. Here's what the press reported and what travellers are saying. Reported facts Around 800 sheet masks gathere
0 0The VAT refund on cosmetic procedures for tourists has ended (for now)
If you're planning a skin treatment in Korea, here's a change to know. The special rule that refunded VAT to foreign tourists on cosmetic and dermatology procedures has ended, and a bill to bring it back until 31 Decembe
0 0Foreign spending in Seongsu doubled in a year: the numbers
Just how hot is Seongsu with international visitors? This year's numbers are pretty clear. According to Korean press, foreign tourists spent about 208.2 billion won in the Seongsu area from January to May 2026, more than
0 0What tourists buy most at Daiso Korea? Sheet masks, by a mile
Daiso in Myeongdong turning into a tourist stop isn't just a vibe; the numbers back it up. According to Korean press, foreign card spending at Daiso rose 130% in 2023, 50% in 2024 and 60% in 2025, and was up 70% year on
0 0A same-day Seoul trip: yes or no? Tell us if you've done it
Posts about day-tripping to Seoul from Japan are showing up on social media: fly in on a morning flight, fly home at night. Here is what people usually say about whether it is worth it. The "yes" camp No hotel costs With
0 0Olive Young is opening in California. When will Spanish speakers get one?
Olive Young, Korea's biggest beauty chain (founded in Seoul in 1999, with more than 1,200 stores), announced that its first US store would open in Southern California in the first half of 2026, with Pasadena as the debut
0 0Musinsa Terrace Seongsu
Musinsa Terrace Seongsu is a fashion and culture space where you can experience brands carried on Musinsa, Korea’s leading online fashion platform, up close. Blending fashion with culture, the venue stages a range of bra
0 0Why new Korean brands pop up on Qoo10 every week: Mega Debut
Open Qoo10 Japan lately and you will see a lot of Korean brands you have never heard of. Much of that comes from Mega Debut, a launch programme for brands entering Japan. FASHIONSNAP reported its first-year results. Year
0 0Korea passes the US to become the world’s No. 2 cosmetics exporter, now shipping to 202 countries
In 2025 Korea overtook the United States to become the world's second-largest cosmetics exporter. France is still No. 1. Global cosmetics exports (2025) France: $24.3B Korea: $11.4B (+11.8%) United States: $10.8B Other n
0 0Using a booking agency or interpreter for a Korean skin clinic: what to check
Many foreign travellers book Korean dermatology clinics through agencies or interpreting services. It lowers the language barrier, but travel forums also have stories like "the price changed along the way" or "I didn't k
0 0Olive Young opens a three-floor store in Myeongdong: Central Myeongdong Town
Another Olive Young in Myeongdong doesn't sound like news, but this one is on a different scale. Olive Young Central Myeongdong Town opened on 26 March 2026 with three floors and roughly 3,100 m², making it the chain's s
0 0Korean cosmetics exports to Japan top $1 billion for a second year
Korean trade paper Beautynury broke down the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's 2025 cosmetics export figures by country. Overall 2025 cosmetics exports: $11.431 billion, up 12.3%. Export destinations grew from 172 count
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