HONG KONG, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- South Korea has become a global cosmetics hub, with legions of fans aspiring to look like their flawless K-celebrity idols. In this episode of K-Everything, Daniel Dae Kim digs beneath the surface to learn why the desire to focus on appearance is deeply ingrained in Korean society, driven by rapid modernization and political shifts.
From the Joseon era, Korea's last imperial dynasty, when women used rice water to brighten their skin, to today's multi-billion dollar market, the evolution of the K-beauty industry has been nothing short of remarkable. Kim takes a trip to cosmetics retail giant Olive Young to see the latest trends and learn how Korea overtook France to become the top exporter of cosmetics to the US in 2024.
With innovation the cornerstone of the K-beauty industry, Kim visits a biopharmaceutical company that produces one of K-beauty's most unusual ingredients – snail slime, also known as "mucin". It's a popular K-beauty trend said to improve hydration and stimulate collagen production.
But what does the idea of K-beauty mean for those in the spotlight in Korea? To answer that question, Kim meets with Irene Kim, top model, TV personality, entrepreneur, and influencer.
South Korean men are increasingly embracing K-beauty trends, experimenting with skincare, cosmetics and male grooming. Kim visits Seoul's oldest barbershop to learn how long hair for men was once illegal in Korea and also gets a makeover by makeup artist LeoJ, one of Korea's leading beauty influencers.
Finally, in a country where cosmetic procedures are mainstream and increasingly seen as a form of self-improvement rather than vanity, Kim explores why investing in appearance can be a necessity in a competitive job market after touring the clinic-lined streets of the upscale Gangnam district.
K-Everything continues the legacy of CNN Original Series' host-led storytelling that examines global culture and the human experience, joining an award-winning library of premium programming streaming on the CNN app.
The CNN Original Series is sponsored by one of South Korea's largest companies, Hyundai Motor Company, a global brand deeply rooted in Korean heritage whose growth has mirrored the country's own journey of innovation and progress.
K-Everything episode 4 (K-beauty) premieres Saturday, May 30 at 8pm HKT and replays on Sunday, May 31 at 8am and 11pm HKT and Monday, June 1 at 3am HKT on CNN International. The 4-episode series will stream live for CNN International pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps weekly. It will be available on demand beginning Saturday, May 9 to CNN's streaming subscribers in the US via CNN.com and CNN connected TV and mobile apps. The series will also be available to stream on HBO Max, where available.
Kim is repped by UTA, Linden Entertainment, Narrative PR and Gang Tyre.
K-Everything (K-beauty) trailer: http://bit.ly/43j6Kiv
K-Everything (K-beauty) images: https://bit.ly/4upaydB
K-Everything microsite: http://edition.cnn.com/world/k-everything
Airtimes for K-Everything (K-beauty) Episode
Saturday, 30th May at 8pm HKT
Sunday, 31st May at 8am and 11pm HKT
Monday, 1st June at 3am HKT
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About CNN Originals
The CNN Originals group develops, produces and acquires original, long-form unscripted programming for CNN Worldwide. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development, oversees the award-winning CNN Originals portfolio that includes the following premium content brands: CNN Original Series, CNN Films, CNN Presents, and the newly formed CNN Studios, an internal production studio which creates long-form programming for CNN's global platforms. Since 2012, the team has overseen and executive produced more than 45 multi-part documentary series and 60 feature-length documentary films, earning more than 110 awards and 445 nominations for the cable network, including CNN Films' first Academy Award® for Navalny. Acclaimed titles include the Peabody Award winning and 13-time Emmy® Award-winning Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown; five time Emmy® nominee, Apollo 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller; Emmy® nominated Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico; the Emmy® Award-nominated "Decades Series": The Sixties, The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties, The 2000s, and The 2010s, executive produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman; The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke about the lives and careers of actors and humanitarians Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman; Grammy® Award nominee Little Richard: I Am Everything, directed by Lisa Cortés; The Many Lives of Martha Stewart; This is Life with Lisa Ling; Primetime Emmy® and duPont-Columbia Award-winning, RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen; See It Loud: The History of Black Television, executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter; Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight in partnership with the BBC; the Producers Guild Award and three-time Emmy® Award-winning Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy; BAFTA nominee and Directors Guild Award winner, Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle; and the five-time Emmy® Award-winning United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell; and the five-time Emmy® Award-winning The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper. CNN Originals can be seen on CNN, to stream via a CNN All Access subscription, on the CNN Original Hub on HBO Max and discovery+, on the CNN Originals FAST channel, and with a pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms.
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Daniel Dae Kim explores the phenomenal rise of the K-beauty industry in CNN Original Series K-Everything
