From K-pop to the Kardashians, South Korea's cosmetics boom

Following in the slipstream of K-pop superstars, K-beauty has become a massive global business. A further secret behind the South Korean cosmetics boom is the unlikely alliance of big manufacturers and small entrepreneurs creating a stream of products and the "skinfluencers" who help them lock in consumers. Seoul (tca/dpa) – Jo Min-Su was working toward a computer science doctorate at one of South Korea's best universities when he stumbled on his calling: building a better lip gloss. The 30-year-old sat near his booth at Seoul Beauty Week, pulled out a stick of his brand — named Blup — and gave his upper lip a dewy pink glow-up. "Nobody trusts a founder who doesn't use his own product," he said, smacking his lips. Jo is one of the tens of thousands of entrepreneurs looking to strike it ric