Our History
2021
Declaration of Vision 2025
Amorepacific declared Vision 2025 in line with the changes of our times.
Under the slogan of “Live Your New Beauty,”
we aim to shape a future
where all customers discover their unique beauty and live and enjoy fulfilling lives.
2021
2030 Sustainability Management Goals
Declaration of 5 Commitments
Amorepacific declared ‘2030 A MORE Beautiful Promise.’ It is a commitment to continue effort and practice with all members of the Group to build A MORE Beautiful World and a promise to stakeholders Amorepacific aims to pursue for the next 10 years.
2020
Declares Mission and Principles
Based on an entrepreneurship spirit of striving to ‘contribute to mankind through beauty and health’, Amorepacific declared its mission ‘We make A MORE Beautiful world’ and five principles.
2018
Amorepacific Group
Builds Global Headquarters
On the same site where the foundation of the business was built in 1956, Amorepacific Group opened its Global Headquarters that pursues creativity and communication in 2018. The Global Headquarters is a new hall of beauty, serving as an important pivotal point in achieving the vision of ‘Great Beauty Company’ that changes the world through beauty.
2016
Amorepacific Group Ranks 7th on WWD Beauty Inc Top 100 for the First Time in Korea
Amorepacific Group ranked 7th as the first Korean company to rank on the fashion & beauty media outlet Women's Wear Daily (WWD)’s list of Top 100 beauty companies.
2015
Amorepacific Joins the Ranks of Forbes Top 100 Most Innovative Companies
Amorepacific was designated as one of the top 100 most innovative companies by American business magazine Forbes, acclaimed for its technology as well as dedication to strengthening the company’s competitiveness and relentless R&D investment.
2014
Shanghai Beauty Campus opens, Integrated Hub of Production, Research and Logistics in China
Amorepacific Shanghai Beauty Campus was built to provide products of ‘absolute quality’ to Chinese customers quickly by securing a logistical foothold while ensuring world-class level of production efficiency and Good Manufacturing Practice system. It will play a critical role in effectively achieving the goal of 'accelerating business growth in China'.
2013
Amorepacific Announces Great Brand Company Vision 2020
Amorepacific declared its firm commitment to taking a new leap into becoming a true ‘Great Brand Company’ that creates a more beautiful and healthier world through Asian Beauty.
2013
Declares a Ban on Unnecessary Animal Testing for Cosmetics
Amorepacific, which has internally banned animal testing for cosmetics ingredients and finished products since 2008, announced its commitment to ban new and additional animal testing for cosmetics done by its partners as well. As a company that pursues harmony among nature, people and company, Amorepacific will ban unnecessary cosmetics testing on animals to respect all life and will further accelerate research into alternative methods that will ensure product safety.
2012
Beauty Campus Osan Opens
Beauty Campus Osan, a place of collaboration among various stakeholders and operates as a control center of the purchasing process, was built. Amorepacific Beauty Campus is the company’s core production base as well as a place that holds the company’s history and vision and a place for ‘the star of the stars’, where all intellectual assets are held.
2010
Amorepacific Establishes Mizium, a Second R&D Center
Mizium opened its doors in the spring of 2010 as a cutting-edge technology R&D center of innovation and communication. It is a place of intellectual communication and connectivity for the future.
2010
First Korean Cosmetics Company to be Included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI)
The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) is a family of indices evaluating the sustainability performance of companies as a global evaluation model that comprehensively reviews not only the financial performance of companies but also social and environmental performances and value. Amorepacific was the first company in the Korean cosmetics industry to be included in the DJSI.
2010
Beautiful Fair Trade Begins
Beautiful Fair Trade is a program that complies with the three principles of safety of ingredients, environmental preservation and contribution to local community in the process of selecting and purchasing botanical ingredients, thereby contributing to our customers, the environment and the society in a positive manner. Amorepacific will continue to pursue shared growth between various regions around the world and the company through the Beautiful Fair Trade, creating a more beautiful world and letting Asian Beauty known to the world.
2009
'Sustainable Management' Vision Declared
The ‘Sustainable Management’ Vision is Amorepacific’s commitment in becoming ‘the most admired beauty company in Asia’ by creating a beautiful world where nature, people and Amorepacific exist in harmony and by practicing its vocation to achieve health and beauty of customers.
2008
Amorepacific Launches the First Cushion Cosmetic, Iope Air Cushion®
One Amorepacific Cushion is sold every second*. It is the company’s key innovative product that is now commonly found inside the handbags of not only Korean women but also women around the world.
*Internal 2015 sales number on cushion products of all brands of Amorepacific
2008
AP Way Declared (Our Vocation, Our Values, Our Beliefs)
The AP Way, which holds Amorepacific’s identity and reason of existence, was declared. AP Way is the path that we have taken and the path we will take towards achieving the dream of changing the world through beauty.
2008
Makeup Your Life Campaign for the Recovery of Confidence in Female Cancer Patients Begins
Makeup Your Life campaign holds our message of wanting to help women’s lives be more beautiful by supporting women’s health, well-being and strengthening their capabilities. The campaign, which helps women cancer patients enhance inner beauty and a positive attitude towards life, is expanding its reach beyond Korea and into the world.
2007
The First Beauty Company in Korea to Join the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)
The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is a United Nations agency established in 2000 to apply the 10 principles on corporate social responsibility ranging from human rights, labor and environment to anti-corruption, to all business activities. Led by the strong commitment of the CEO, Amorepacific joined UNGC as the first cosmetics company in Korea, fulfilling its social responsibility and practicing sustainable management.
2006
Amorepacific Group Adopts Holding Company Structure
By introducing a holding company structure, Amorepacific gained a more systematic structure as a global cosmetics company by strengthening its core business capabilities, such as cosmetics and health, while ensuring transparency of the corporate governance structure.
2006
Amorepacific Declares its Vocation as Asian Beauty Creator
Amorepacific declared its company vocation as ‘Asian Beauty Creator’ leading innovation and creation in the area of beauty in Korea and beyond. The ‘Asian Beauty’ in the ‘Asian Beauty Creator’ stems from the camellia oil created by Yun Dokjeong, the mother of Amorepacific founder Suh Sungwhan, with her commitment to create a product of the best quality.
2003
Founder Suh Sungwhan Creates Beautiful World Fund (to Support Heemang Stores of Low-Income Single Mothers)
Founder Suh Sungwhan created ‘Beautiful World Fund’ based on his aspiration and dedication to provide welfare support to women and children. Through the fund, the Micro Credit project, which helps single mothers start new businesses in support of their economic independence, is active to this day.
2002
Company Name Changed to ‘Amorepacific’
The company, which launched innovative products at amazing speed and continued to grow significantly in both domestic and overseas markets, changed its company name to Amorepacific in order to lay the foundation for an integrated global communication.
2001
Korea’s First Tea Museum, Osulloc Museum Opens
Amorepacific cultivated the wastelands of Jeju into tea fields to revitalize the declining unique traditional tea culture of Korea and to make known Jeju’s blessed natural conditions in cultivating green tea. Amorepacific opened Osulloc Museum(Current Osulloc Tea Museum) on Jeju to approach customers through Osulloc
2000
Amorepacific Establishes Korea Breast Cancer Foundation and Implements Pink Ribbon Campaign to Enhance Awareness of Breast Health
Amorepacific established Korea’s first nonprofit public foundation for breast health named ‘Korea Breast Cancer Foundation’ in 2000 to enhance awareness on breast cancer and strengthen support.
2000
Amorepacific Launches Clean Beauty Brand Innisfree
Innisfree, which means an island of healing for the skin, is Korea’s first clean beauty brand delivering the natural benefits of clean and pure Jeju and offering healthy beauty to customers.
1997
Amorepacific Launches Oriental Medicine Cosmetics Brand Sulwhasoo
Sulwhasoo is a Holistic Beauty brand that shares Asian Wisdom not only in Korea but with customers worldwide, based on its ingredients and prescription that hold Sulwhasoo’s own unique values and oriental medicine technology developed over some 50 years.
1995
Amorepacific Launches Etude House
The No.1 K-Beauty makeup brand Etude House offers exciting brand and product experience to all women who dream of a different everyday life, inspiring sweet energy into their lives.
1994
Amorepacific Launches Laneige
Laneige believes everyone has their own sparkling beauty. Your own unique beauty that sparkles wherever, whenever – that is the Sparkling Beauty Laneige pursues.
1993
Company Name Changed to Pacific Co., Ltd.
The name of the small store that started from Changseong Store in the 1930s was Pacific Store. Since then, it continued to grow and changed business names over time including Pacific Chemical (1945), Pacific Chemical Co., Ltd. (1959), Pacific Chemical, Ltd. (1987), and once again to Pacific Co., Ltd. along the journey of growth.
1993
Amorepacific Declares Total Commitment Initiative (Service, Quality, Environment)
The ‘Total Commitment Initiative’ holds several key points such as developing, making and quickly supplying high-quality products that customers want, providing the best service to the extent that customers did not even expect, and to fulfill social responsibility towards the environment by developing eco-friendly technology and considering environmental impact throughout the whole process even until products leave the hands of customers.
1992
Amorepacific Declares Management Philosophy ‘Service to Mankind, Respect for Humanity, Future Creation’
The company declared its management philosophy of ‘Service to Mankind, Respect for Humanity, and Future Creation’, reflecting its commitment to become a company that truly contributes to society and its dedication in creating beauty and health in contribution to mankind.
1992
Amorepacific Establishes Pacific R&D Center (current R&D Center Research Lab 1 Seongjigwan)
Amorepacific built the largest research center in the East with 5 stories including a basement level. The company had continued to spare no investment in research since it first opened doors to a cosmetics research lab for the first time in Korea in Huam-dong, Seoul, in 1954, always emphasizing ‘a challenging spirit that knows no fear of failure’ and ‘creative spirit that always pursues to be the first and the best’.
1991
Amorepacific Launches Mamonde
The brand Mamonde, which continued research on women, flower and beauty, since its launch under the motto, ‘my life is my life’, studies nature’s wisdom reflected in the flower and discovers and identifies women’s beauty from it.
1990
Amorepacific Establishes Local Office in France
The company established a local office in Chartres, France, based on the performance of the hypoallergenic cosmetics brand ‘Soon’ since its presence in France by establishing a technology alliance with the French beauty company Coty. Amorepacific continues its effort in the French market, including brands such as Lolita Lempicka, Annick Goutal (Current Goutal Paris), and the launch of Sulwhasoo brand.
1989
World’s First Launching of Green Tea Cosmetics Meero
The world’s first green tea cosmetics Meero that contained green tea flavonoids, which is one of the most outstanding cosmetics ingredients, was launched. Meero was recognized as a significantly differentiated product in all the areas of the brand ranging from its exceptional ingredient, product name to advertising and design, solidifying its status as a highly adored product by customers.
1982
Amorepacific Establishes Pacific Welfare Foundation (current Amorepacific Welfare Foundation)
The Pacific Welfare Foundation, which was established to support the marginalized such as women, children, adolescents, people with disabilities and senior citizens in living life with dignity, implemented various sharing activities covering different areas of social welfare. Amorepacific’s CSR activities continue to develop and deepen experiencing a wide range of changes according to the trend of times.
1979
Founder Suh Sungwhan Announces His Plan for Green Tea Business and Cultivates Jeju Tea Fields
“This is not something I started to reap significant profits in the short term. My priority is to revive our country’s tea culture. And it will greatly help our business and Jeju although it may take some time. Who would initiate something like this if not for entrepreneurs like me?” - Founder Suh Sungwhan -
1979
Asia’s First Cosmetics and Accessory Museum, the Museum of Cosmetics History (current Amorepacific Museum of Art)
This museum has both a museum of cosmetics history that displays various cosmetics containers, tools and accessories from the ancient times to the Korean Empire times and a tea house that displays our traditional tea culture relics. It shares with visitors from home and abroad our diverse traditional cosmetics culture and the unique value and pride of our tea culture.
1973
Amorepacific Establishes Pacific Scholarship and Cultural Foundation (current Amorepacific Foundation)
The ‘Pacific Scholarship and Cultural Foundation’, which was established with the purpose of supporting scholarship projects, cultural projects, and projects identifying traditional women’s culture, was the basis of the present-day Amorepacific Foundation. Amorepacific is dedicated to deepening awareness around CSR activities with the philosophy that our sharing is not for show but that is something to do together with others, something natural as a habit that has become a part of our lives embedded deeply in our actions.
1971
Korea’s First Makeup Campaign, Oh My Love
Amorepacific held Korea’s first makeup campaign under the name ‘Amore Bright Tone Makeup ’ titled, ‘Oh My Love’. Amorepacific’s makeup campaign proposed attractive and stylish looks appropriate to each Time, Object and Place depending on the season and year. And as a result, the makeup campaign became a seasonal event that was held throughout the year. The campaign, which was a window into viewing the most recent trend, continues its legacy to this day.
1966
Amorepacific Launches World’s First Oriental Medicine Cosmetics ABC Ginseng Cream
Amorepacific released ABC Ginseng Cream, the world’s first product to apply oriental medicinal technology, into the world. The cream, which was based on ginseng as an ingredient, was created through the founder being inspired by the ginseng fields he grew up around at his home in Gaeseong. It was the result of identifying the value of ginseng plants indigenous to our lands at a time when there was almost no research on ginseng other than for food purposes and the tenacity and devotion to the technology that creates beauty.
1964
Korea’s First Cosmetics Export
Amorepacific exported around 20 types of cosmetics of the ‘Oscar’ brand for the first time in the country’s history, opening doors to the global market. Since then, it focused on entering the overseas market through export and achieved a tangible result of winning the ‘tower of USD 20million in export’ in 1984. This was a performance of achieving an export growth rate of 27% against the previous year and the first to achieve the record in the history of the cosmetics industry in Korea.
1964
Brand ‘Amore’ Launches dedicated for Door-to-door Sales and Introduces Door-to-door Sales System
The company introduced ‘door-to-door sales’ as an alternative method of distribution, breaking away from the traditional distribution structure in an era of transformation, and launched a dedicated brand named ‘Amore’, winning the hearts of customers through high-quality products. And even today, the brand lives on without any distortion as the main image and identity of the company, taking root as one of the most classic and legendary brands born in our country.
1962
Korea’s Largest Automated Cosmetics Manufacturing Facility, Yeongdeungpo Factory, Built
As there can be no creation and progress without adventure and experiment, Amorepacific built a factory in Yeongdeungpo that accommodates the largest automated cosmetics manufacturing facility in Korea despite many challenges and risks. The Yeongdeungpo factory was equipped with the largest and the most cutting-edge automation facility uncommon at the time. By building a large factory with modern production facilities, Amorepacific took one step further into becoming a truly global cosmetics company.
1961
Amorepacific Opens Korea’s First Beauty Counseling Center
When Hwajanggye, Korea’s first monthly beauty magazine, was published in 1958, there was a surge in the number of calls made by women asking questions about the magazine. To repay customers for their interest and support, Amorepacific opened a beauty counseling center, which created quite a sensation. This was at a time when most companies focused on increasing production output rather than customer satisfaction.
1960
Founder Suh Sungwhan’s Visit to Overseas Cosmetics Markets
Founder Suh Sungwhan, who visited several prestigious cosmetics companies around the world observing their advanced technology and large automated factories, started to reflect upon the company and dream of a different dream for the future. And that dream became true one by one, by building Korea’s largest automated cosmetics manufacturing factory in Yeongdeungpo, which served as an opportunity to bring Amorepacific into the modern world.
1958
First Publication of Hwajanggye, Korea’s First Monthly Beauty Magazine
‘Hwajanggye’ is Korea’s first company publication and beauty magazine. This magazine, which contained helpful articles ahead of its time, was distributed free-of-charge but was sold at a price at used bookstores because of its huge popularity. Women had easy access to information on beauty that they didn’t even know existed because of the magazine, which covered a wide range of subjects from basic skin treatment and styling for different types of face shapes to makeup tips for different occasions.
1958
Amorepacific Introduces Europe’s Newest Facility ‘Air Spun’ for the First Time in Asia
Amorepacific introduced the micro-milling machine ‘Air Spun’ in Korea as the first Asian country. The 12-meter high machine that weighed 4 tons and produced an output of 35 horsepower was adopted on the commitment of the founder who encouraged employees to study overseas by genuinely taking care of their families even during busy and challenging times.
1954
Amorepacific Opens Korea’s First Cosmetics Research Lab
To compete with world-class cosmetics brands a company must ensure a higher level of quality and technology, and to achieve its dream towards the world a company must create products of a quality it can be proud of, which is why Amorepacific was the first cosmetics company in Korea to open a research lab in a small place of less than 7m2 in Huam-dong, Seoul.
1951
Company Launches Korea’s First Purely Plant-based ABC Pomade
The company released a purely plant-based pomade for the first time in Korea with a passion to create a product of a better quality and not be complacent with the existing product. It was able to launch a purely plant-based pomade using vegetable wax made by grinding castor oil and the fruit of lacquer tree instead of using Vaseline, inspired by products using plant-derived ingredients like the camellia oil added with diverse experiments and relentless dedication.
1948
Company’s First Brand Product Melody Cream
As a symbol of the company’s commitment to create cosmetics while ensuring good quality, it launched Korea’s first-ever brand product, Melody Cream. Releasing a cosmetics product with the trademark on its packaging to the market meant that the company will undertake responsibility for that product and showed its commitment to keep that promise.
1945
Establishment of Pacific Chermical
Pacific Chemical was founded with the commitment to step into a wider world, relocating to Namdaemun, where securing materials was easier at a time when supplies were rare. This decision originated from the founder’s mother who taught him that we must offer products made with ‘reliable ingredients.’
1932
Yun Dokjeong (Mother of the founder Suh Sungwhan) Starts Making and Selling Cosmetics
From the very beginning, Amorepacific began its journey with a sincere heart towards nature and customers. Founder Suh Sungwhan’s mother Yun Dokjeong sold camellia oil, a product that requires intricate process and effort, manually making one bottle at a time with devotion and a sincere heart in Gaeseong, located in today’s North Korea.
