K-beauty breaks boundaries to offer broader solutions

Beauty companies in Korea are increasingly expanding beyond their traditional businesses into beauty devices, energy-based devices and medical aesthetics as they seek to become comprehensive beauty solution providers. APR, which operates the cosmetics brand Medicube and home beauty device label AGE-R, has begun expanding into medical devices. “For the new medical device businesses, approval procedures for products and manufacturing facilities are currently underway, and the commercial launch date will be determined based on the acquisition of relevant approvals and the progress of commercialization preparations," the company said in its half-year report. APR is preparing to launch new medical devices, including an energy-based device using focused ultrasound technology and a skin booster using polynucleotide. During a conference call in August, the company said the focused-ultrasound device had recently obtained domestic approval and could be launched as early as late this year. The company’s polynucleotide-based skin booster has already received Class II medical device clearance and