6 hours Ago By N/A (Jonathan Hicap)
Korean cosmetics have become globally popular in the past few years, including in the Philippines. In the 2025 Overseas Hallyu Survey done in 28 countries and territories, including the Philippines, respondents cited K-beauty as the No. 4 among the images that they associate with South Korea after K-pop, Korean food and Korean dramas.
This was emphasized by Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa as he led in opening the K-Beauty Glow-Up!, a Korean beauty and travel experience event, SM Aura in Taguig on April 25. Hallyu (Korean Wave) refers to the rise in popularity of Korean pop culture content. Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa (3rd from left) and Tourism Sec.
Christina Garcia Frasco (4th from left) lead the opening of the K-Beauty Glow-Up! at SM Aura in Taguig on April 25. With them are (from left) KTO Manila Director Park Younghee, singer and actress Kyline Alcantara, SM Supermalls Executive Vice President for Marketing Jonjon San Agustin, Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines Director Kim Myeongjin and General Manager Kwak Yongho of Amorepacific Philippines (KCC) The K-Beauty Glow-Up! event at SM Aura in Taguig (Jonathan Hicap) Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa (KCC) Tourism Sec. Christina Garcia Frasco (KCC) Singer and actress Kyline Alcantara (KCC) SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Marketing Grace Magno (Jonathan Hicap) In the Hallyu survey, the No.
1 top answer on why they favored Korean beauty products was “it’s effective and of high quality” (24 percent). Lee was joined by Tourism Sec. Christina Garcia Frasco, and singer and actress Kyline Alcantara, who served as the honorary ambassador for Korean tourism in the Philippines.
K-Beauty Glow-Up!, which will run until April 26, was organized by the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). Also attending the event were KTO Manila Director Park Younghee, SM Supermalls Executive Vice President for Marketing Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Marketing Grace Magno Lee Eunhwa, KCC Director Kim Myeongjin, and General Manager Kwak Yongho of Amorepacific Philippines. Amorepacific is a renowned Korean beauty company that owns the brands Innisfree, Laneige, Sulwhasoo, Hera, Aestura, Etude, Cosrx and Mise En Scene.
Among the exhibitors at the K-Beauty Glow-Up! event are Innisfree, Jennyhouse, The Bom, Laneige, Mise En Scene and KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency). The K-Beauty Glow-Up! event at SM Aura in Taguig (Jonathan Hicap) "K-Beauty Glow-Up!" will offer a dynamic experience showcasing the latest K-beauty trends. Visitors can engage in interactive activities, from the trending personal color analysis to the must-experience beauty places in Korea.
“The purpose of the K-Beauty Glow-Up event is to showcase the heart of Korean beauty and wellness, not just as trends, but as part of a meaningful cultural and travel experience,” the KCC and KTO told Manila Bulletin . They added, “Through hands-on experiences—like personal color analysis, hair makeovers, beauty sampling, and more—visitors can get a taste of what it’s like to explore Korea’s top beauty spots and wellness destinations. K-beauty is now a major reason why people travel to Korea, and this event brings that experience closer to Filipino fans, inspiring them to plan their own beauty and self-care journey to Korea.
” Hallyu In his speech at the opening ceremony, Ambassador Lee said the event is “ not just to celebrate cosmetics and skincare; it’s something much deeper, and I’m talking about the vibrant tourism and cultural connection between Korea and the Philippines.” Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa (Jonathan Hicap) He said in 2024, 1.7 million Korean tourists visited the Philippines while more than half a million Filipinos traveled to South Korea, “making the Philippines our number one visitor among the ASEAN countries.
This is not just a simple case of statistics, but a beautiful story of mutual embrace and affection.” The ambassador cited the recent concert of BTS member J-Hope in Manila. “Just last week, BTS member J-Hope performed for two nights at the SM MOA Arena, and as expected, adoring fans flocked to the venue.
Many Filipinos, however, were pleasantly surprised when J-Hope mentioned how much he loves halo-halo, the Filipino equivalent of our bingsu, as well as the food of Jollibee and Manam,” he said. BTS member J-Hope at his concert in Manila (Instagram) He also congratulated Sec. Frasco and the Department of Tourism (DOT) “for the Philippines’ recent nominations at the 2025 World Travel Awards—Asia’s Leading Tourist Board, Leading Beach Destination, Leading Dive Destination, and Leading Heritage Destination.
These are well-deserved recognitions and Korea is proud to be part of your tourism success story.” Lee said K-beauty, a part of the Korean Wave, is popular among Filipinos. “According to the 2025 Overseas Korean Wave Survey, beauty ranks fourth in what people around the world associate with Korea, following K-pop, K-food, and K-drama.
As Korean ambassador, I am proud to say that the Philippines leads the world in K-Beauty enthusiasm. Over 70 percent of Filipino respondents expressed high interest in Korean beauty trends and products. That’s the highest among the 28 countries surveyed!” he said.
The K-Beauty Glow-Up! event at SM Aura in Taguig (KCC) He added, “This strong interest is one of the reasons why we are h ere today. We want you to experience a curated preview of Korea’s beauty industry, from personal color analysis and trendy hair styling, to exclusive product sampling—all brought to you by top-tier beauty brands like Laneige, Jennyhouse and The Bom.” The K-Beauty Glow-Up! Is part of the promotions for the Korea Beauty Festival 2025 , which will be held from June 19 to July 18 in Seoul, South Korea.
“We’d love to welcome even more Filipinos to this celebration of beauty, culture, and wellness,” he said. Lee also mentioned Alcantara as “someone who embodies the spirit of today’s event.” “She recently attended a K-Beauty festival in Korea and will soon share her personal journey with us.
I’m sure many of you are eager to hear her observations and insights on what makes Korean beauty so inspiring,” he said. He added, “As we open this two-day experience, may you be reminded that beauty is not just skin deep—it is a bridge. A bridge that connects people and cultures, celebrates friendship, and brings Korea and the Philippines ever closer.
Maraming salamat po at mabuhay.” K-Beauty Sec. Frasco said she uses Korean beauty products as part of her daily regimen.
“What makes K-beauty truly special is not just products or the technology but the deeper values behind them. Self-care, wellness, creativity,” she said. She added, “K-beauty is not just about perfection.
It’s about honoring who you are, finding joy in your own skin and expressing yourself with pride with a little help, of course, from products and technology that make one’s beauty glow just a little brighter.” Tourism Sec. Christina Garcia Frasco (Jonathan Hicap) “Beauty, like tourism, is soft power in action.
It connects us not through words but through shared experiences.” Frasco said the relationship between the Philippines and South Korea “continues to bloom, rounded in history, enriched by exchange and made even more personal by the way we inspire each other in daily life.” “In tourism, this connection is especially strong.
Koreans remain our number one source market for the Philippines and among our most treasured guests,” she said. She added, “Thank you for the friendship and thank you for your love for the Philippines.” For her part, SM Supermalls’ Magno said she is “very, very big K-drama fan.
I’m a huge fan of Korean culture, and beauty and travel and food.” She thanked the KCC, KTO and the Korean Embassy in the Philippines for bringing the K-Beauty Glow-Up! event to SM Aura. Alcantara in Korea Alcantara, who won best drama supporting actress for her role in the series “Kambal, Karibal,” served as the honorary ambassador for Korean tourism in the Philippines for three years from April 2022 to March this year.
“I’m grateful for that. It’s such a huge honor for me to be the ambassador,” she said. Kyline Alcantara wearing hanbok (Korean traditional dress) as honorary ambassador for Korean tourism in the Philippines (KTO) Singer and actress Kyline Alcantara (Jonathan Hicap) Singer and actress Kyline Alcantara (right) receives a certificate of appreciation from KTO Manila Director Park Younghee (Jonathan Hicap) She has visited Korea four times.
The first time was in Busan. “It was super fun kasi yung vibe niya is super chill and the culture is deeper also,” she said. For her second and third time in South Korea, she went to Seoul and Incheon to “try their beauty and wellness that we all love.
” “Every time I got to Korea, it’s such a memorable experience. I always take the word ‘magical’ every time I go to Korea. The sun is different, the weather is different, the fashion is different.
The culture is also different,” she said. Alcantara said her most memorable visit was going to the Korean Beauty Festival in Korea. “Because I’ve met executives there, politicians, KTO executives and also we visited the KTO headquarters in Seoul.
Maybe that’s a core memory because it’s such a privilege to be sitting alongside those big names,” she said. Among the cities she visited, Seoul is her favorite because “everything is there. The reason I traveled was because I wanted to know that country’s culture.
” At the K-Beauty Glow-Up! event, the KTO awarded Alcantara with a certificate of appreciation for her outstanding contributions as honorary ambassador of Korean tourism in the Philippines..
