On October 18 (local time), a visitor experiences a “personal color” consultation at the K-Beauty Zone during the “Unboxing Korea” event hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Belgium.
BRUSSELS, Oct. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — As the makeup artist’s brush traced delicate strokes across the model’s face, the audience fell silent. Moments later, gasps rippled through the crowd as the transformation — flawless and luminous, like digital retouching brought to life — was complete. Cameras flashed, questions poured in, and the fascination was palpable.
This was the scene at the K-Beauty Zone inside “Unboxing Korea,” an event hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Brussels on October 18, where visitors watched live demonstrations of idol-style makeup and received personal color consultations using Korean cosmetics.
On October 18 (local time), a makeup artist demonstrates a so-called “K-pop idol makeup” look at the K-Beauty Zone during the “Unboxing Korea” event hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Belgium.
“People love choosing their personal colors — it’s not something Europeans usually do unless they’re celebrities,” said volunteer Kinga Kielczewska, 25. “It’s one of the things that makes K-beauty so unique.”
Now in its second year, Unboxing Korea has become the center’s signature event, reflecting surging interest in Korean culture across Europe. According to organizers, more than 180 people applied to be among the 30 volunteers selected after interviews and training.
Crowds fill the K-Food Zone at the “Unboxing Korea” event hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Belgium on October 18 (local time).
The two-day festival, which runs through October 19, spans four themed zones — beauty, food, culture, and tourism — both inside the cultural center and in a nearby square. Crowds packed every corner, but nowhere more so than the K-Food Zone, where nine Korean food companies offered traditional snacks, rice-based desserts, tteokbokki, and cocktails infused with sool (Korean rice wine).
The turnout far exceeded expectations, forcing companies to fly in extra supplies from European distributors. Others redirected their retail stock to tasting tables “just to let one more person try,” said Jo Jae-gon, CEO of Young Poong. “We never imagined this kind of response.”
The “Unboxing Korea” event hosted by the Korean Cultural Center in Belgium on October 18 (local time).
Visitors, from children to retirees, expressed enthusiasm for all things Korean. At the K-Culture Zone, 12-year-old Oscar from France practiced making a traditional iksunkwan hat and showed off his ability to write his name in Hangul. “It’s hard, but it’s so fun,” he said with a grin.
His mother, who first visited Korea with her family three years ago, added, “My son’s been obsessed ever since. Korean culture has simply become so much more accessible here in Europe — that’s why it’s thriving.”
Organizers expect more than 25,000 visitors to attend the event over its two-day run, underscoring Korea’s deepening cultural footprint on the global stage — from K-pop and K-dramas to the beauty counter and beyond.
Image credit: Yonhap, the Korean Cultural Center in Brussels / photonews@koreabizwire.com
