매장 들어가자 "한국인 줄"..'미국서 1위' 현지인도 깜짝 / SBS 8뉴스

Anchor As interest in Korean culture grows, global expansion is gaining momentum across a wide range of sectors, from cosmetics to movies and food. For local consumers familiar with Korean culture, this is becoming a competitive form of content in itself. Reporter Chae Hee-sun reports. Reporter This is downtown Pasadena, near Los Angeles, California. In this major commercial district of California, Olive Young has opened its first offline store in North America. With its reasonable prices and superior quality, Korean cosmetics surpassed France for the first time last year to claim the top spot in the U.S. imported cosmetics market. [Vanessa Gonsalves / Florida Resident: I had fine lines and my skin tended to be dry. I started using K-beauty products and definitely felt a difference in my skin. I've been using them for about two or three years now, and they have brought about a truly significant change.] The store is also decorated to match the atmosphere found in Korea. [Theresa Nicholas / Manager of Olive Young’s First US Store: Customers will experience an atmosphere and service very similar to Olive Young in Korea.] Food service franchises that have expanded overseas have also emphasized the "Korea as it is." Lotteria used the Korean alphabet on the signage of its US stores, and BBQ also brought over the look of its domestic stores exactly as it is, from the interior to the menu. [Mary Jetty / Manhattan, New York: First of all, the variety of flavors is much greater. American-style fried chicken has more sauce and tends to be a bit messy to eat.] As of the second half of last year, 139 domestic food service brands have expanded into 56 countries, operating over 4,600 stores. Unlike the past, when they adopted a "localization" strategy tailored to local tastes and culture, recently they are promoting Korean flavors, culture, and brand identity itself as a competitive edge. [Jeon Mi-young / Research Fellow, Trend Korea Company: As experiences of local Korean culture spread and accumulate, it seems people are paying a higher price for these unaltered experiences.] Last year, the export value of so-called K-Culture—encompassing cosmetics, food, and content—reached $71.8 billion, exceeding 100 trillion Korean won. As the Korean Wave, which began with content, expands into dining out and cosmetics, it is becoming a driving force for breaking free from the stagnant domestic market and pioneering new markets. (Video Reporting: Lee Jae-young, Video Editing: Choi Hye-ran) #KoreanCulture #OverseasExpansion #Cosmetics Copyright Ⓒ SBS. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use for AI learning are prohibited.