Korea Cosmetic Association welcomes adoption of GCORAS Declaration “Expectations for K-Beauty export regulatory cooperation”
A new chapter in global cosmetics regulatory cooperation
The Korea Cosmetic Association expressed its welcome for the successful adoption of the GCORAS Declaration at the first 2026 Global Cosmetics Regulatory Authorities Summit, GCORAS 2026, held in Seoul from the 7th to the 9th. This is being viewed as a highly encouraging achievement because it has laid a practical foundation for resolving export regulatory issues faced by K-Beauty companies when entering overseas markets.
GCORAS is a key consultative body where heads of cosmetics regulatory authorities from around the world gather to share regulatory systems and policies and discuss cooperative tasks for ensuring industry safety and promoting innovation. Hosted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the meeting brought together 15 regulatory authorities from 12 countries and several related associations, confirming the importance of global regulatory collaboration.
Strengthening regulatory information sharing and practical cooperation
The GCORAS Declaration reflects a strong commitment to promoting regulatory information sharing based on deep trust among regulatory authorities and to responding jointly to common global issues. Rather than remaining a one-time event, it is expected to develop into a sustainable cooperation platform through regular meetings of agency heads and the operation of working groups by sector.
Solving company regulatory difficulties with a field-focused approach
At the Global Regulatory Forum held on the first day of the event, a wide range of forward-looking agenda items were discussed, including K-Beauty growth strategies, changes in the EU regulatory environment, and safety assessments using AI. In particular, the business meeting held immediately after the forum became a very practical opportunity for K-Beauty companies.
A time was arranged for domestic companies to communicate face to face with officials from overseas regulatory authorities, including Brazil, the UAE, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Korean companies were able to frankly convey the difficulties they experience in the export process and gained valuable experience by receiving direct answers from regulatory authorities in each country to questions prepared in advance.
The fact that the Republic of Korea was elected as the inaugural chair country of GCORAS and that the secretariat was established domestically is meaningful because it provides a foundation for Korea to participate more actively in global cosmetics regulatory cooperation. We expect GCORAS to develop beyond information exchange among regulatory authorities into a forum for practical regulatory cooperation.
This leading role in an international cooperation body will become an institutional springboard that enables K-Beauty to grow more steadily in the global market, going beyond simple product competitiveness. Reducing the gap between the domestic regulatory environment and global standards is the key to increasing overseas market share.
Establishing a sustainable export foundation
The association plans to communicate continuously with the government and overseas organizations so that the on-the-ground difficulties faced by Korean companies do not simply remain conveyed, but lead to actual system improvements or reduced regulatory burdens. This will be a practical effort to help export companies target global markets with greater confidence in a predictable business environment.
Closing
The adoption of the GCORAS Declaration marks a major advance for the industry in that it has established a systematic framework to lower regulatory barriers between countries and respond jointly to common global issues. If close communication and practical cooperation between regulatory authorities and companies continue, K-Beauty will be able to secure even stronger global competitiveness.
The growth of K-Beauty through global regulatory cooperation will become a reliable foundation that supports outstanding quality. In step with these changes, Yuricos will continue to provide practical support so that the cosmetics industry can make a stable leap onto a broader global stage.
