Gyeonggi Province will hold the “2025 Gyeonggi Province 5070 Job Fair” on the 9th at Suwon Messe. Starting with this fair, the province will launch the “Gyeonggi 5070 Great Job Tour (Gray it-job tour)” in the second half of the year, visiting all 31 cities and counties in the province. The “Gyeonggi Province 5070 Job Fair” is a customized employment linkage event targeting middle-aged and older adults aged 50 to 70. This year, it is particularly noteworthy for including enhanced “career transition support functions” compared to last year. It goes beyond simple on-site hiring, offering introductions to related job sectors and customized program guidance for middle-aged individuals seeking career changes. Through counseling and information provision tailored to job seekers' experience and desired roles, the event aims to reduce anxiety about career transitions and expand their options. About 1,000 people are expected to be hired at this fair, with about 100 companies participating, including KB Golden Life Care and CJ Freshway. In particular, KB Golden Life Care will hire about 100 full-time employees on-site to secure manpower for Gwanggyo Village, which is scheduled to open in September. The fair will feature ▲job fairs ▲job fairs/promotion booths ▲job preparation booths ▲job experience booths ▲celebratory performances, and other diverse programs. At the job fairs, representatives from large and medium-sized companies will directly explain job duties and working conditions. Additionally, over 30 related institutions, including the Korea Asset Management Corporation, the Korea Housing Finance Corporation, and the Labor-Management Development Foundation, will participate to provide customized counseling on employment, entrepreneurship, welfare, and finance. Gyeonggi Province plans to actively promote middle-aged-friendly employment policies such as “Baby Boomer Light Jobs” and “Baby Boomer Internships” through this fair. Job seekers aged 50 to 70 can apply in advance through the fair's website or by phone, and can also participate on the day of the event after registering on-site. All procedures, including resume writing, photo shooting, and employment consulting, will be supported on-site. Jeong Doo-seok, Director of the Gyeonggi Province Economic Affairs Bureau, stated, "The second baby boom generation, born between 1964 and 1974, began turning 60 last year. This generation, numbering 9.54 million, is the largest demographic group in our society, making employment stability and re-employment support extremely important at this time. Gyeonggi Province will strive to improve the employment environment for middle-aged and older adults through the 5070 Job Fair.” [News Source: Gyeonggi Provincial Office]

The K-Beauty and Fashion industry has set its sights on expanding into Europe, beyond the US, Asia, and the Middle East, by making its debut in Milan, Italy—the heartland of fashion. The industry is formalizing global collaborations to support emerging designers in their European market entry and directly engaging with Milanese citizens to showcase the charm of K-Beauty and Fashion. After completing his schedule in Vienna, Austria, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon arrived in Milan and visited the headquarters of the Italian National Fashion Chamber (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, CNMI) at 11 a.m. local time on the 4th. There, he expressed his commitment to strengthening the global partnership between the two cities through fashion. Additionally, he discussed plans to expand mutual exchanges and cooperation between Seoul Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week. CNMI is the organizer of Milan Fashion Week, one of the world's four major fashion weeks, and contributes to enhancing the global status of Italian fashion through sustainability, digitalization, diversity and inclusivity, and the promotion of emerging brands. Seoul City and CNMI, which signed a business agreement in February last year, promised to engage in closer and more continuous exchanges in the fields of fashion and beauty through this meeting. The two organizations signed an agreement with the following main contents: to promote innovation in the fashion industry by establishing a system to utilize the Milan Fashion Week platform for mutual cooperation between Seoul Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week and for the international promotion of Korean brands; and to enhance exchange and cooperation between relevant organizations and groups in each city related to fashion and beauty, including fashion material supply, product design, and marketing communication. At the event, Mayor Oh proposed that brands participating in Milan Fashion Week join Seoul Fashion Week. This initiative aims to establish a platform for Milan's representative brands to participate directly in Seoul Fashion Week, thereby elevating Seoul Fashion Week to a globally recognized top-five fashion week. At 6 p.m. local time on the same day, Mayor Oh visited the pop-up exhibition hall “K-Vibe from Seoul,” which was decorated with Seoul's beauty and fashion and K-pop, at Milan's representative boutique “10 Corso Como,” and directly introduced the charm of Seoul as a “Fun City” where beauty and style blend together to the citizens of Milan. In addition, he listened to the voices of domestic beauty and fashion brands participating in the event and sought practical ways to expand overseas. The two-day event, held on the 4th and 5th, featured eight promising domestic beauty brands (▴Villa Erbatio ▴Bihop ▴Eden ▴Pikam ▴Nola Hour ▴Round Lab ▴Bentone ▴Van Cleo) and six fashion brands (▴Triple Flute ▴Valoren ▴Duck Dive ▴BS Rabbit ▴Joseph & Stacy ▴Numbering) participated directly to meet Milanese citizens. (K-Beauty & Fashion Product Exhibition) Promising Seoul-based beauty and fashion brands targeting the European market shared popular skincare methods and fashion styling tips directly with attendees. (Experience K-Lifestyle) Products such as rice makgeolli and dalgona latte, which incorporate Korean F&B elements into fragrance, were unveiled, along with an experiential event featuring dalgona from the globally popular “Squid Game.” (Meetings with local influencers) Active local beauty and fashion influencers networked with participating brands and shared the event atmosphere and product reviews through their social media channels, enhancing the global recognition of Seoul brands. Currently, South Korea has risen to the third-largest cosmetics exporter globally (10.2 billion dollars) as of 2024, but Europe remains outside the top 10 major export destinations. This indicates that the European market holds significant potential as a promising market for the K-Beauty industry. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to use this Milan event as a starting point for its European market expansion efforts. Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is providing multifaceted support to upgrade the K-beauty and fashion industries from mere consumer goods to cultural content that grows alongside K-culture, including overseas market development, global marketing support, human resource development, and participation in overseas fashion weeks. First, with the goal of becoming a “global beauty industry hub,” Seoul hosts the “Seoul Beauty Week” every year as a global business platform. “Seoul Beauty Week” is an event aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the K-Beauty industry, which is gaining global attention thanks to the popularity of K-pop content. Last year, the three-day event attracted a total of 50,000 visitors, including citizens, tourists, and beauty industry professionals. Notably, over 200 buyers from 39 countries, including Japan's ARATA, participated in the event, conducting 1,049 one-on-one export consultations with 207 promising small and medium-sized beauty companies, resulting in approximately $39 million (about 53.3 billion won) in order contracts. In addition, the Seoul Beauty Hub, which provides comprehensive support for the entire process of design, distribution, and export for beauty companies, opened in June. This year, it will support 100 companies in entering overseas markets and help with online and offline marketing and training specialized personnel for the beauty industry. It also helps competitive K-fashion brands enter overseas markets. In addition to supporting participation in Milan Fashion Week, the city will connect promising buyers through the Seoul Fashion Week Trade Show held every February and September and provide consulting services to increase orders. It will also support the global expansion of promising small and medium-sized brands participating in the “Hi Seoul Showroom.” In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is currently developing a plan to revive Dongdaemun as a fashion and beauty mecca in South Korea. First, the DDP area will be transformed from a simple visitor space into a stay-and-enjoy consumption space by integrating various contents such as beauty, fashion, and K-culture, and expanding the brand value derived from citizen-participatory festivals to the surrounding commercial areas, thereby developing it into a complex consumption hub where fashion and culture converge. At 7 p.m. local time, the final event of the day, a roundtable discussion with Milan-based Korean companies, took place. At the roundtable, which was attended by the director of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Milan Trade Office and local business leaders, Mayor Oh listened attentively to the participants' opinions and stated, “We will continue to provide steadfast support to help Seoul's brands gain a stronger presence on the global stage.” He emphasized, “Seoul's competitiveness is the nation's competitiveness. With the belief that Seoul's success will enable Korean companies to grow further, we will serve as a strong foundation.” [News Source: Seoul City]

Pilkocospharm Co., Ltd. Signs MOU with Gyeongbuk Silkworm & Insect Business Center for Joint Development of Next-Generation Bio-Fillers Pilkocospharm Co., Ltd. (CEO Jung Hoon-cheol) is partnering with the Gyeongbuk Silk & Insect Business Center to embark on the development of next-generation bio-fillers. On June 12, the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Silkworm & Insect Business Center in Sangju, Gyeongbuk, agreeing to collaborate on the development of dermal fillers using insect-derived biological resources, including silkworm cocoons. This agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas, including research and development of new materials, product commercialization, and advancement into the global eco-friendly beauty market. Introduction to Pilkocospharm Co., Ltd. and Its Core Competencies Pilkocospharm Co., Ltd. is a rapidly growing company in the domestic and international markets, specializing in functional cosmetics and medical aesthetics, with strong R&D-based manufacturing capabilities. The company’s product portfolio and strengths include: Specialized product lines such as skin boosters, injectable ampoules, lifting solutions, and hair-loss treatments Consumer-friendly home care cosmetics including ampoules, mask packs, and repair creams Medical device-integrated products for hospitals and aesthetics Freeze-dried ampoule and powder formulation development with stable, high-functionality active ingredients Recently, Pilkocospharm Co., Ltd. has focused on developing preservative-free, high-purity skin boosters and ampoules using lyophilization (freeze-drying) technology. This allows the biological stability and efficacy of active ingredients to be maximized by activating the formulations just before use - a key technology that offers a competitive edge in the high-end medical and aesthetic markets. Key formulation expertise includes: Ingredients such as PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid), peptides, exosomes, and more A full-service OEM/ODM system Mitochondrial activation & skin homeostasis The company also holds multiple international certifications, proving its competitiveness: ISO 9001 (Quality Management) ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) ISO 13485 (Medical Device Quality Management) ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management) ISO 22716 (GMP, Good Manufacturing Practices) Pilkocospharm Co., Ltd. has secured global certifications such as the European CPNP, China’s NMPA, and the U.S. MoCRA and is actively collaborating with buyers from 20 countries. CEO Jung Hoon-cheol stated, “This agreement marks a significant turning point, accelerating the convergence of Pilkocospharm Co., Ltd.'s science-based functionality with eco-friendly natural raw materials.” An official from the Gyeongbuk Silk & Insect Business Center added, “This collaboration is meaningful not only for the industrialization of research but also for revitalizing the local bio-industry ecosystem. We aim to create a new business model by integrating our technology with the bio-filler.” Moving forward, the two organizations plan to establish a sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership through ongoing technology exchanges, joint research, prototype development, and participation in global exhibitions. [대한민국영어신문 나윤재 기자]

The 2025 Cheonan K-Culture Expo, held over five days under the theme “Global K-Culture, Coloring the World,” closed on the 8th after attracting domestic and international tourists. The K-Culture Expo, which opened on the 4th, came to a close with the K-Talk Show “NoBack Tak Jae-hoon,” the Cheonan Foreigners' Festival, the closing ceremony, and the closing reception. Now in its third year, the K-Culture Expo showcased a variety of K-pop culture content blending culture and technology, reaffirming its reputation as Korea's leading comprehensive cultural industry expo. From K-pop performances such as the K-Retro Concert, K-OST Concert, and ‘SBS Power FM Wendy's Young Street’ to themed exhibitions, food, beauty, webtoon, video content, game, and Korean language industry exhibition halls, industrial conferences, and K-Hanbok Fashion Shows, the event showcased the diversity of the cultural industry. To explore the present and future of the K-content industry and enhance the competitiveness of the cultural industry in the AI era, AI, immersive media, extended reality (XR), and interactive technologies were introduced in each exhibition hall to enhance immersion. Programs that visitors could enjoy together, such as K-POP random play dance and street karaoke, were held, and an experience zone with about 50 experience booths was set up, where visitors could participate in traditional games and craft experience programs. 1,000 drones lit up the night sky with K-culture themes, and the Independence Hall of Korea was open at night for the second year in a row, providing nighttime attractions. This festival was a participatory event created jointly by local small business owners, companies, and communities, and was followed by cultural events linked to the K-Culture Expo, such as a Memorial Day tribute concert, a youth artist festival, a K-indie showcase, and a veterans' cultural festival. In particular, despite the large crowds that gathered at the expo site over the five days, the event was held without a single safety incident, demonstrating a high level of visitor culture. At the grassy area in front of the main stage, families, couples, and friends gathered in small groups, spread out blankets, and enjoyed the performances. They sang along to the songs performed by the artists on stage, creating a vibrant cultural scene where visitors and K-Culture came together. Kim Seok-pil, Acting Mayor of Cheonan City, stated, “This K-Culture Expo served as a platform to introduce our culture to the world and foster understanding across generations and borders through K-Culture. We will continue to develop cultural platforms to establish Cheonan as a representative cultural city of Korea and a hub for K-Culture.” [News Source: Chungcheongnam-do Cheonan City]

On the afternoon of May 26, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with a delegation from the Japan-Korea Economic Association, including Vice Chairman Aso Yutaka, who visited South Korea to attend the 57th Japan-Korea Economic Conference (May 27-28), and exchanged views on economic cooperation between the two countries. Minister Cho expressed gratitude for the Japan-Korea Economic Association's significant role in promoting exchanges and creating cooperation opportunities between companies of both countries, and urged the business communities of both countries to continue playing an active role to sustain the momentum of improved friendly cooperation between Korea and Japan, which has been difficult to achieve recently. In particular, he emphasized the need for the two countries, which are facing similar challenges due to the rapidly changing trade environment, to maintain close communication at the government and business levels, while also expanding cooperation within the framework of the trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the United States, and Japan. In addition, he noted that the Korean Pavilion at the Osaka Expo currently underway in Japan has secured a spot among the top three most popular pavilions alongside the U.S. and Italian pavilions, and expressed hope that the friendly atmosphere between the two countries will be further strengthened based on the interest shown by many Japanese people in the Korea Day event (May 13). He also expressed hope for the active participation of Japanese companies in the APEC meeting to be held in Gyeongju in October. Aso emphasized the growing importance of economic cooperation between South Korea and Japan amid the severe global situation and introduced various activities of the Korea-Japan Economic Association aimed at promoting economic cooperation between the two countries, including the Korea-Japan High School Student Camp and internship programs for Korean university students organized by Japanese companies in South Korea. Aso stressed that human exchange centered on the younger generation plays a very important role in the future of bilateral relations, and called for both countries to work together to address common challenges such as low birth rates, aging populations, and supply chain crises, and to design a shared future. Koji Akio, the incoming chairman of the Japan-Korea Economic Association, who will take office next month, stressed the need for Japan and South Korea to demonstrate leadership in safeguarding the multilateral trade system under the new global economic environment and to jointly promote cooperation with ASEAN and other global southern countries. Mizushima Koichi, Japanese Ambassador to South Korea, highly evaluated the fact that the “Korea-Japan Business Leaders' Conference” has been held without interruption for 57 years since its first meeting in 1969, contributing to the solidification of bilateral relations, despite the ups and downs in bilateral relations. He also stated that economic strength is the source of national power for both Korea and Japan, and that the role of the business community is important. Additionally, Ambassador Mizushima expressed gratitude to Minister Cho for the stable development of bilateral relations under the strong trust between Minister Cho and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya, and expressed hope for strengthened cooperation between the foreign ministries of both countries in the future. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to listen to the voices of the business communities of both countries to expand economic cooperation between South Korea and Japan, make efforts to support businesses, and maintain close communication with the Japanese government. [News Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs]