Korean fermented skincare company UniqueMi (CEO Hee-Ok Kwak) is making a full-scale entry into the U.S. market following a major success at KCON LA 2025, held earlier this month at Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center.
UniqueMi’s booth completely sold out in just two days, with even trial samples purchased, underscoring the brand’s strong appeal among American consumers.
“We prepared double the inventory compared to last year, but everything sold out midway through the event,” said CEO Hee-Ok Kwak. “It was the perfect opportunity to showcase over 20 of our products to loyal customers, new buyers, and first-time consumers alike.”
UniqueMi is accelerating its U.S. expansion through partnerships with offline retailers such as Kohaim, Palace Beauty, and Nabi Spa, while also strengthening its online presence via platforms like Amazon and Hot Deal, the largest Korean American online shopping mall. Beginning mid-September, the company will launch bestsellers including its sunscreen line on Hot Deal, accompanied by promotional events.
From Storytelling to Skincare Innovation
Founded in 2014, UniqueMi reflects Kwak’s unconventional career path. She began her career in 1986 as a television writer, penning programs such as World Travel by Train (KBS) and Journey Into History (EBS). In 2003, she established Unique Media, producing over 200 documentaries, including Golden Pentagon and Challenge K-Startup, projects that received government investment.
“Whether through words, video, or now skincare, my work has always centered on content,” Kwak explained. “Storytelling is what drives competitiveness.”
Her shift to skincare came after producing the YTN series Power of Small Giants in 2015, where she interviewed 120 manufacturing companies. By 2017, she launched UniqueMi, applying her storytelling expertise to highlight fermentation in beauty.
UniqueMi’s products use high-concentration fermented ingredients from Jeju’s natural environment. Its signature line of five herbal masks, matured for 100 days inside a volcanic cave, was selected for the Korean government’s Brand K program and gained traction in Korea and overseas.
The flagship Cenigia line—made with patented fermented ingredients and German ceramide—has been clinically recognized for brightening and anti-wrinkle benefits, becoming a bestseller priced at $35–40. The Reine Wild Ginseng series, infused with wild ginseng culture extract, also stands out for its efficacy.
UniqueMi products are sold at The Hyundai’s BeClean beauty select shop, Incheon and Daegu International Airport duty-free stores, and online. Demand is rising, fueled by MZ generation consumers’ interest in value-driven purchases and the vegan beauty trend.
The company will introduce a new Reine serum and body scrub later this year.
Kwak still defines herself as a “content creator.”
“From writer to producer to beauty entrepreneur, the core of my journey has always been content,” she said. “Whether it’s documentaries or skincare, lasting value comes from storytelling and thoughtful planning.”
By Eunyoung Lee [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]
