Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Regional Specialized Youth Trade Experts Training Project Group (GTEP, Director: Professor Choi Kyung-sook) participated in "Cosmoprof Asia 2025" held in Hong Kong from November 12–14, 2025, carrying out activities to open K-beauty export markets and support local companies' overseas expansion.

"Cosmoprof Asia" is counted among the world’s three major beauty exhibitions alongside Bologna, Italy and Las Vegas, USA. This year it was the largest beauty trade show in Asia, with approximately 2,500 companies and some 45,000 buyers and visitors.

Nine students from the JBNU GTEP Project Group — Kim Do-yeon, Park Jang-gyu, Lee Kang-hyun, Jang Eun-ji, Choi Jun-hyeok, Han Ga-eun, Han Ji-ye, Hwang Hyun-jun, and Heo Ah-hyun — participated in the exhibition.

They set up a booth together with four partner companies — Oki Co., Ltd., V Platform Co., Ltd., Olchada, and Derma Queen — and directly carried out the full range of trade tasks, including exhibition planning, product promotion, local market research, and consultations with overseas buyers.

As a result, they secured multiple potential contracts and increased the prospects for global market entry of K-beauty bio-technology products. The students also gained practical trade experience on site.

Choi Jun-hyeok (Department of International Trade), who took part in the exhibition, said, "I could directly sense the world’s strong interest in K-beauty. Although I was nervous as it was my first participation, preparing buyer Q&A in advance and running simulations was of great help during the actual consultations."

The JBNU GTEP Project Group is a global trade talent development program operated with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Korea International Trade Association, and Jeollabuk-do. Each year it leads efforts to open overseas sales channels for regionally specialized companies and to cultivate young trade professionals.

Following recruitment of the 20th cohort for 2026, the Project Group plans to strengthen hands-on programs — special foreign language lectures, trade theory and practical training, and participation in overseas trade fairs — to continuously cultivate regionally based global young trade professionals.