At APEC 2025, K-Beauty and K-Food gained global attention, showcasing South Korea's soft power through cultural diplomacy.

Leaders and key figures from various countries attending the 2025 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit experienced K-Beauty and food firsthand, posting commemorative photos on social media, generating daily buzz, and evaluating that 'soft power diplomacy' led to substantial results. On the 3rd, according to the distribution industry, K-Beauty showcased its presence as a global essential beauty item during APEC, receiving acclaim from key figures of international organizations from the U.S., Canada, and others. Caroline Levitt, spokesperson for the U.S. White House, posted a photo of herself purchasing Korean cosmetics on her social media, which has about 2.58 million followers, drawing attention. Diana Carney, wife of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, expressed her intention to visit 'Olive Young,' a representative Korean drugstore, saying, 'My daughter prepared a shopping list for Korean cosmetics.' LG Household & Health and AMORE PACIFIC operated an experience program at the 'K-Beauty Pavilion' set up at Hwangryongwon in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and fashion icon Nicky Hilton from the U.S. also visited here. The 'K-Beauty' gifts prepared for APEC attendees were also popular. 'Olive Young' selected 17 types of products from promising indie brands to premium brands and provided gift packages to the leaders. They also supported about 8,000 souvenir sets. This gift package included 'Beauty of Joseon' rice sunscreen, 'TIRTIR' mask fit red cushion, 'Jung Saem Mool' essential moisture cream, skin nudity foundation, 'YUNJAC' herbal concentrate serum, 'espoir' eye core palette, 'Round Around' scented hair & body mist, 'fwee' lip and cheek blurring pot, 'BOH' probiotic dam 3D lifting cream, 'rom&nd' the juicy lasting tint, 'VT cosmetics' lead shot, 'Sulwhasoo' moisturizing essence, 'Torriden' dive-in mask, 'LABO-H' hairline ampoule, 'VODANA' curling iron, and 'Dr.FORHAIR' sea salt scaler, among 17 types. A CJ OLIVE YOUNG official stated, 'We carefully selected 17 products from key categories of K-Beauty, such as skincare, makeup, and personal care,' and added, 'The adoption of gifts for leaders from APEC member countries symbolizes the recognition of the industrial ecosystem built by Olive Young and small and medium brands on a global stage.' LG Household & Health officially sponsored 20 sets of 'Hwanyu Imperial Youth Master Cream' as gifts for the spouses of leaders. The gifts were housed in a mother-of-pearl lacquer box made by intangible cultural heritage craftsman Song Dae-hyun, containing 'Hwanyu Cream' and 'Hwanyu Youth Cream.' A scene was captured where Chinese President Xi Jinping asked, 'Is this for women?' after seeing the gifts exchanged with President Lee Jae-myung. Additionally, 54 'The Whoo Hwanyu Cream' were prepared as gifts for CEOs of major global companies, and special gifts of 'Hwanyu Cream' were presented to the top 10 companies in Korea and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang in mother-of-pearl lacquer boxes made by craftsman Song Dae-hyun. APR presented the 'MEDICUBE AGE-R BOOSTER PRO Sun and Moon Five Peaks Edition' to the spouses of leaders, drawing attention. Collaborating with the National Museum of Korea, the device body and package were engraved with the Sun and Moon Five Peaks, symbols of the Joseon royal family. The head cap was decorated with a wedding crown and traditional Korean hair ornaments, incorporating Korea's unique beauty into the device. K-Food also showcased its power in diplomacy. Various K-Food items, such as ramen, tteokbokki, and chicken, were introduced at the K-Food station within the APEC venue. At the Nongshim booth, about 300 people tasted Shin Ramyeon daily. Kyochon Chicken provided 1,100 to 1,200 servings of chicken daily. CJ CheilJedang showcased 20,000 products, including bibigo cup tteokbokki, seaweed snacks, and rice cakes, while PARIS BAGUETTE presented 32,000 products, including dried persimmon pound cake, medicinal sweets, and mugwort rice cake cookies. Lotte Hotel & Resort collaborated with Chef Edward Lee to host lunch and dinner for leaders, offering courses utilizing Korean ingredients, such as 'Gyeongju Millennium Hanwoo' filet steak, Wando abalone galbi jjim, and namul bibimbap, along with popular Korean desserts like pine nut pie and injeolmi caramel. Lotte Hotel Busan showcased a temple cuisine course in collaboration with monk Songjae. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang enjoyed chicken and beer with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun in what became a hot topic known as the 'K-Chicken' boom. Furthermore, K-Desserts gained attention after Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Hwanam Bread, leading to a rush of consumers at the Gyeongju store. Walnut sweets from Puchang Confectionery were served as dessert at the dinner, receiving high acclaim from global VIPs and the press. Lotte Hotel Seoul's General Manager Do Kyung-tae stated, 'Based on the hotel's professional and systematic capabilities, we made every effort to ensure the event was successful,' and expressed that it was meaningful to introduce Korea's diverse culinary and hospitality culture to the world through the APEC summit dinner. G-DRAGON delivered an impressive performance in front of leaders from 21 countries! ASTRO's Cha Eun-woo, currently in military service, also appeared, confidently hosting in fluent English. BTS's RM mentioned K-POP as bibimbap, referring to the bond with ARMY, stating 'Solidarity beyond borders... inspiration for creation.'