K-life style showcased at major shopping mall in US

“K-life style USA” event took place Friday at American Dream Mall, a popular shopping mall in New Jersey. The event was showcasing Korean consumer products including cosmetics and foodstuffs.

“I have been widely using Korean skincare products since five to six years ago,” said Christina, an African American who was trying on Korean cosmetics products. “They are better than American cosmetics.” Christiana, who is running an online shop by herself, said she was visiting the event to take a look at Korean cosmetics products that she is planning to sell.

The event was organized by the North American office of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, or KOTRA, to support export to the U.S. of 53 Korean consumer products including beauty, foods and fashion products. It is effectively the first exhibition of Korean products that has taken place in New York since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also happening on the sidelines of the exhibition were some cultural events including K-pop singing contest, fashion show, taekwondo performance and gugak (Korean traditional music) concert.

“This is the largest in scale among Asian events that have taken place at this mall,” said a director at American Dream Mall who co-organized the exhibition. “The Korean products exhibited here are world-class.” He added that the event has demonstrated the power and uniqueness of the Korean people to Americans.


Jae-Dong Yu jarrett@donga.com