Aekyung Industrial aims to lift hair care to 25% of sales with anti-hair-loss brand Blackfore

Aekyung Industrial's hair-loss care brand Blackfore

Celebrity pop-up with model Kim Won-hun draws crowds

Company targets hair care share rising from 20% to 25% next year

Comedian Kim Won-hun, brand model for Blackfore, interacts with visitors at a Blackfore pop-up store held Friday afternoon at the Musinsa Megastore in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. [Aekyung Industrial]

"Feeling like your hair is falling out lately? Try Blackfore — or don't. Hair loss coming for you? Use Blackfore, or regret it later."

Around 4 p.m. Friday, the second floor of the Musinsa Megastore in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul was packed. A crowd had gathered in a circle around a pop-up booth set up in the middle of the store for Blackfore, Aekyung Industrial's hair-loss care brand, with popular comedian Kim Won-hun serving as its brand model.

Kim drew laughs from the crowd by riffing on his signature catchphrases — "Use Blackfore, or don't?" and "It'd be a shame not to~" — to promote the brand. He also hosted a capsule-toy prize draw featuring Blackfore shampoo, hairbrushes and photo opportunities with him, engaging directly with consumers. The roughly two-hour event drew about 300 visitors.

The pop-up marked the first celebrity-invited offline event Aekyung Industrial had held since launching its hair care brands, including Kerasys, Blackfore and Derma & More. The appearance also represented the first celebrity brand activity since Blackfore's launch in January 2023. Kim has long been a public face of hair-loss concerns, openly discussing hair transplants and thinning hair on television. The company said his involvement reflects its commitment to the Blackfore brand and the hair-loss care market.

Comedian Kim Won-hun, brand model for Blackfore, helps visitors participate in a capsule-toy prize draw at the Blackfore pop-up store held Friday afternoon at the Musinsa Megastore in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. By Kang Seung-yeon

A reporter tries the capsule-toy prize draw at the Blackfore pop-up store held Friday afternoon at the Musinsa Megastore in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Inserting an event coin dispenses either a Blackfore product or a chance to take a photo with brand model Kim Won-hun. By Kang Seung-yeon

Jeon Hyun-jung, the newly appointed head of Aekyung Industrial's hair care business division — a unit the company created this year — was also on the floor Friday, closely observing consumer reactions. Jeon is a seasoned industry veteran who has worked with global hair care brand René Furterer, skincare brands Clarins and Shiseido, and holds a cosmetology license, a rare credential in South Korea.

Speaking with reporters Friday, Jeon made clear her ambition to build Blackfore and the broader hair care business into a key growth engine for Aekyung Industrial. "Hair care currently accounts for about 20 percent of Aekyung Industrial's total sales," she said. "Our target for next year is to raise that to around 25 percent." She said the fast-growing Blackfore brand, alongside the flagship Kerasys line, would be central to hitting that goal.

Jeon said the hair-loss care market has changed significantly since Blackfore's 2023 launch. "The number of market participants has grown considerably," she said. "The customer base has expanded from predominantly male to both men and women, and the age range has come down from the 30s–50s to include people in their 20s. People are now managing hair loss as a basic routine even without any symptoms."

She identified Blackfore's key differentiator as its self-foaming formula. "The moment the product is exposed to air, it foams on its own — not through rubbing, but through contact with oxygen, which creates fine micro-bubbles," she said. "Like the foam on a dark beer, the bubbles are fine and dense, which allows for precise scalp coverage, a deep-cleansing effect and a healthier scalp environment."

Jeon Hyun-jung, head of Aekyung Industrial's hair care business division, speaks with reporters Friday afternoon in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul about the Blackfore brand and hair care business strategy. [Aekyung Industrial]

Jeon also outlined new product plans for next year. "The axis has shifted from shampoo toward the leave-in market, and the scalp essence and tonic segment is growing fast," she said. "Next year we will launch an additional line focused on scalp antioxidants, with enhanced hair-loss and special-care features. We are also preparing to launch a scalp leave-in treatment, with next year as the target."

The company also plans to deepen synergies with Dongsung Pharmaceutical, a fellow member of the Taekwang Group. Dongsung Pharmaceutical markets a liquid hair-loss treatment brand called Dongsung Minoxidil. "We are working with Dongsung Pharmaceutical on joint product development," Jeon said. "They have accumulated expertise in hair-loss care, and we intend to apply that know-how to developing Blackfore's leave-in products."

Next year is shaping up to be the first year of Blackfore's global push. As of July, more than 50 percent of Aekyung Industrial's hair care sales were generated overseas, with strong performance in the Americas, Europe, and Russia and the CIS region. "We are preparing to take Blackfore global, not just Kerasys," Jeon said.

She added that the company has proposed listing Blackfore at Watsons stores in Taiwan and Hong Kong, with both proposals under positive review. "Based on data showing Blackfore has established itself as a top-tier anti-hair-loss shampoo brand at Costco in South Korea, we have also proposed entry into Costco in the United States next year, and that is also being reviewed favorably," she said.

spa@heraldcorp.com