▲ From L: Nicolas Forissier, France's minister delegate for foreign trade; Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of L'Oreal Groupe; Choi Kyung, CEO and vice chairman of Cosmax; and Kim Jung-kwan, South Korea's industry minister, pose for a photo at the Cosmax-L'Oreal Groupe MOU signing ceremony held in Paris on Sept. 8, 2026 (local time), in this photo provided by Cosmax. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- Cosmax, a cosmetics original design manufacturer, said Wednesday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with L'Oreal Groupe to jointly develop next-generation cosmetics and innovative ingredients as part of a summit marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and France.

 

At a signing ceremony held in France on Tuesday, attended by South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Nicolas Forissier, France's minister delegate for foreign trade, Cosmax CEO Choi Kyung and L'Oreal Groupe CEO Nicolas Hieronimus signed the agreement.

 

Under the agreement, the two companies will cooperate in three areas: global products, innovative ingredients and new formulations.

 

They plan to jointly research and develop products for global markets based on L'Oreal's beauty science and technology and consumer analysis, while identifying new cosmetic ingredients and active compounds.

 

They will also develop new formulations and product formats inspired by trends in the Korean beauty market and among Korean consumers.

 

Cosmax has supplied products to L'Oreal since 2004, maintaining a partnership that has lasted more than 20 years. The two companies have expanded their cooperation beyond product supply into research and development, signing an MOU in 2023 to jointly research skin microbiome ingredients and develop sustainable, eco-friendly formulations.

 

"It is a great honor to open a new chapter of cooperation with L'Oreal as a cosmetics company representing Korea as we mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France," Vice Chairman Choi said. "Building on the trust and partnership we have developed over the past 20 years, we will work together to create the next generation of innovation led by K-beauty."

jwc@yna.co.kr

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