A 2-week showcase offers Korean small brands a platform to test the Malaysian market

MALAYSIA is a strategic gateway for South Korea to accelerate its small and medium enterprise (SME) globalisation agenda, with the launch of the 2025 Global Showroom: The Radiant Korea World Showcase at The Exchange (TRX), Kuala Lumpur (KL) recently.

Held from Dec 1 to 14 on the Ground Floor of TRX, the government-backed pop-up (temporary, themed retail experiences and events) featured 25 Korean SMEs across the K-Beauty and K-Food categories.

The initiative was led by South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Start-ups (MSS) and the Korea Small Enterprise and Market Service (Semas), in collaboration with Leap Innovation Co Ltd.

Beyond consumer retail, the showcase is positioned as a live export validation platform, allowing Korean SMEs to test pricing, demand, packaging and localisation in a real commercial environment, while engaging directly with Malaysian buyers.

According to Leap Innovation Ltd CEO Min Geonbo, the strategic emphasis is on elevating Korea’s lesser-known but high-potential SME brands beyond the shadow of its global conglomerates.

“The primary objective of this showcase is to introduce outstanding Korean small-business products directly to Malaysian consumers and buyers, opening new trade pathways.

“While global recognition has traditionally focused on large Korean brands, this initiative is designed to shine a spotlight on high-quality small businesses that have not yet received international exposure,” he said.

By creating a physical platform where Malaysian consumers can test and purchase products directly, the programme sought to reduce market-entry risks while laying the groundwork for sustained bilateral trade growth.

Ong (left) and Radiant Korea event assistant leader Hee Jung at the media showcase

From Pop-up to Permanent Retail Presence

Unlike conventional exhibitions, the Radiant Korea World Showcase was structured as a commercial testbed, where consumer behaviour, purchasing patterns and market response are tracked in real time.

“This is not a one-off event. It is the first step toward a sustained market presence in Malaysia.

“We are currently in discussions with TRX and local retail partners to establish a permanent retail space where Korean small-business products can be consistently promoted,” Min said. trade

Under its mandate, Leap Innovation functions as the end-to-end execution partner for the initiative, overseeing brand selection, product-market fit evaluation, retail layout design and operational coordination.

“We coordinate everything from store layout to product interaction, from onsite sales to influencer engagement and business-to-business (B2B) buyer meetings so that consumer experience and commercial objectives move together in a seamless flow,” Min added.

Crucially, the programme integrated structured one-on-one buyer consultation sessions with merchandising directors from major Malaysian retail platforms, aimed at converting consumer interest into distribution and export contracts.

Why Malaysia, Why Now

K-Beauty and K-Food were selected as anchor categories due to their existing recognition in Malaysia, while offering space for new SME brands to differentiate themselves from established corporate players.

Min noted that K-Beauty and K-Food are the most recognisable Korean categories in Malaysia.

“However, global awareness has traditionally favoured large corporations, leaving many exceptional small businesses underrepresented,” he said.

Malaysia was chosen as a launch market due to its strategic position as a South-East Asian consumption and distribution hub, supported by rising disposable incomes, mature retail infrastructure and strong cross-border digital commerce penetration.

The 25 participating SMEs were selected based on product quality, market suitability, growth potential and alignment with Malaysian consumer demand.

The products showcased reflect a broader shift in how Korean SMEs are innovating for international markets.

On the beauty side, brands are debuting lightweight, non-sticky, humidity-resistant and vegan formulations engineered specifically for tropical climates. The emphasis is on gentle textures, sensitive-skin compatibility and heat-stable performance.

“This showcase highlights products that reinterpret Korean tradition through a modern lens, tailored to Malaysian preferences,” Min said.

For food, traditional Korean snacks and beverages have been reformulated with plant-based ingredients and reduced-sugar profiles to meet rising regional demand for health-conscious consumption.

Min shared that these products blend traditional Korean flavours with modern, health-focused formulations, offering a cleaner and more approachable experience for Malaysian consumers.

The physical design of the pop-up reinforces this experiential approach through product testing stations, tasting zones and interactive lifestyle displays.

K-Beauty is one of the most recognisable Korean categories in Malaysia

Leveraging ‘Hallyu’ for Retail Conversion

While Korea’s cultural exports continue to shape regional consumption trends, Min said “Hallyu”, or the “Korean Wave,” is being deployed as a commercial catalyst rather than merely an aesthetic backdrop.

“The showcase incorporates a strong K-Culture aesthetic, creating an immersive environment that encourages exploration and social-media sharing.

“Influencer engagement further amplifies visibility, drawing trend-driven consumers to the pop-up store,” he said.

The integration of experiential retail and digital amplification reflects a broader recalibration of how Korean brands approach overseas retail activation.

First-time Market Entry for Many SMEs

For many of the participating brands, Malaysia represents their first overseas commercial entry point.

Radiant Korea event assistant supervisor Ray Ong, representing one of the participating vegan beauty brands, said the company selected Malaysia as its international launch market due to growing demand for organic and ethically produced products.

“This is our first time introducing our products in Malaysia and we see strong potential here, especially for vegan and organic beauty solutions.

“Our range includes skincare, food-based wellness products and supplemental hair care, all developed with plant-based and natural ingredients,” he told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR).

He added that accessibility, rather than premium pricing, is a central pillar of the brand’s market strategy.

“We want organic products to be accessible, not positioned as overly premium or expensive. That is why our pricing strategy is designed to remain reasonable while still maintaining product quality,” Ong said.

The brand is targeting a broad demographic, reflecting the expanding adoption of organic products across age groups.

“Young people are becoming more conscious about what they put on their skin, but we are also seeing growing interest among older consumers who prioritise health and long-term skin care,” he added.

To support localisation, the brand has implemented real-time digital feedback tools through QR-code surveys so customers can immediately share their feedback.

Ong said this will help them understand Malaysian preferences better in terms of texture, fragrance, packaging and price sensitivity.

On the commercial front, Ong confirmed that early-stage discussions with Malaysian retailers are already underway.

“We are actively looking for local distribution partners and some of our participating brands have begun initial conversations with local beauty retailers such as Sasa,” he said.

In terms of localisation, the company remains flexible on presentation while maintaining product integrity.

Ong said it will keep its formulalas natural and organic, but open to adapting packaging design and pricing structures to better suit the Malaysian market.

Export Infrastructure Beyond Physical Retail

A critical differentiator of the initiative lies in its post-showcase export infrastructure. Following the TRX pop-up, Leap Innovation will provide participating companies with a detailed performance and market insight report, a dedicated Shopee online showcase to extend digital visibility, ongoing digital B2B consultation support, as well as opportunities for permanent store placement in Malaysia to ensure sustained retail presence.

At the national policy level, the showcase is positioned within Korea’s broader 2025 Global Showroom export acceleration programme, which integrates both business-to-consumer (B2C) retail exposure and B2B buyer conversion channels.

“On the B2C side, we are working toward establishing permanent retail visibility in Malaysia while on the B2B side, we are building an online consultation platform and supporting buyer visits to Korea to translate interest into actual trade,” Min said.

Min expects the two core categories, K-Beauty and K-Food, to deliver different but complementary commercial outcomes.

K-Beauty will drive initial foot traffic due to its strong brand appeal, while K-Food is expected to deliver higher conversion through on-site tasting. Together, the two segments form a balanced consumer acquisition and transaction pipeline.

Ultimately, the Radiant Korea World Showcase reflected a deeper strategic shift in South Korea’s export policy, one that places SMEs, rather than conglomerates, at the forefront of its next growth phase.

“This is the first starting point. We want to create a system where Korean small businesses can enter Malaysia, receive real consumer feedback, secure buyers and continue their growth here sustainably,” Min said.

For Malaysian consumers, the showcase provided early access to next-generation Korean brands. For Korean SMEs, it marked the opening of a government-backed commercial corridor into one of South-East Asia’s most competitive retail markets.

As South Korea recalibrates its global trade strategy around SME scalability, KL has now emerged as the frontline testing ground for its next export wave.