K-Food, K-Beauty Sweeping US Beyond K-Pop

Pasadena, California, is an affluent city with a median household income of $105,000, and the nearby San Marino area is home to ultra-high-net-worth individuals with a median household income of $210,000. It was here that Olive Young opened its first store. This store welcomes an average of over 1,500 visitors daily, and more than half of them are non-Korean, indicating a strong response from local residents. The average transaction amount per person is also nearly double that of domestic stores.

According to Superman Lee Ju-ho, elderly owners in the U.S. hotel industry previously showed little interest in BTS or K-Culture. However, the BTS pop-up store held in Las Vegas this May became a turning point. Over 150,000 people lined up to visit this pop-up store, which operated for only two weeks, generating over 1 billion KRW in sales. This event prompted local businesspeople to seriously study K-Culture.

Bibigo, a leading K-food brand, is solidifying its position in the U.S. market. CJ CheilJedang currently operates 20 factories in the U.S., strengthening its local production capabilities. Bibigo dumplings, in particular, boast an overwhelming 49% share of the U.S. Asian frozen food market. Bibigo products are widely distributed, sold in 80,000 retail stores across the U.S.

Korean-style whipped cream cake is gaining popularity as a premium dessert in the U.S. Unlike the mass-produced butter cakes commonly found in the U.S., Korean whipped cream cakes boast a light and soft texture. Because of these characteristics, locals who taste Korean whipped cream cake say it feels like 'eating a cloud,' calling it 'cloud cake.' Despite its small size, this cake sells for a high price of about $43 (approximately 60,000 KRW), establishing its reputation as a premium product.

According to what Superman Lee Ju-ho witnessed on-site, it is difficult to find Koreans among the many foreigners participating in K-Culture events such as K-concerts, K-food, and K-beauty. This indicates that K-Culture is deeply embedded in Americans' daily lives, moving beyond a temporary trend. Just as we routinely eat pizza and hamburgers, K-Culture is undergoing a similar transformation in the U.S. The key to this success is attributed to the localization strategy that has transplanted Korean flavors and culture directly.