'Haus of K' Becomes a New York K-Beauty Hub... A Little 'Seoul' in Brooklyn

- K-Beauty platform NURIHAUS opened a three-month permanent retail and cultural space in Brooklyn, New York, moving beyond the limitations of traditional short-term pop-ups-
- The space attracted top media, influential creators, major U.S. buyers and massive public crowds who praised its data-backed curation and interactive features like AI skin diagnosis.-
- Functioning as an "interactive marketplace" that collects real-time sales data and community feedback, NURIHAUS plans to use this successful New York model to help Korean brands expand into other cities worldwide.


A long line of people waiting to enter stretched along the exterior wall of Hana House in Brooklyn, United States. They were visitors trying to enter 'Haus of K: Seoul Beauty Lounge,' a long-term permanent space for K-Beauty and K-Culture opening for about three months from June 13 to August 31.

Visitors waiting to enter Haus of K/ Source=NURIHAUS

NURIHAUS Goes to the Toughest Market First

K-Beauty marketing platform 'NURIHAUS' (CEO A Ram Baek) chose New York, the most demanding market, as the expansion stage for its creator community 'Nurilounge.' The strategy is that 'if it works in the most difficult place, it will work anywhere.'

Nurilounge, which started with about 30 creators in a small office in Manhattan's SoHo, United States in June 2024, surpassed 30,000 local subscribers in just one year. The subsequent 'K-Beauty Boost in NYC' event proved its potential by drawing massive crowds and key local buyers.

Challenges remained as well. There was great regret over the absence of a sales function, the limitations of short-term events, and content that was not accumulated. CEO Baek faces this head-on by planning 'Haus of K.' It moves beyond existing short-term events to transition into a three-month permanent operation, combining retail with diverse programs.

On the evening of June 11, Haus of K opened its doors. Prior to the official opening, 35 creators who started in that small SoHo office two years ago were the first to fill the on-site space.

A purple structure cutting across the high ceiling, lighting that tinted the main showcase, and a photo zone that reinterpreted traditional Korean patterns. It is a complex cultural space blending an interior that modernizes Korean sentiments, a select shop featuring over 100 brands, a hanbok and ceramics exhibition, and the cafe 'By Chae.' CEO Baek expressed the ambition, stating, "The space of Haus of K intends to break the mold of existing K-Beauty pop-ups."

Interior view of the 1st floor of the Haus of K pop-up store / Source=NURIHAUS

At the pop-up site, about 300 editors from top North American media outlets such as TIME, Vogue, and GQ, along with influential creators like Chloe Schnapp, gathered. Experiencing an interactive QR experience and in-depth curation rather than simply listing products, they showed satisfying reactions, calling it a 'new concept never seen before.' They continued to interact and communicate even after the operation closing time.

On the following day, the 12th, about 150 industry leaders, including retail buyers from North American giants such as Target, Macy's, and Nordstrom, global beauty corporate figures, and Korean-American investors, gathered. With political figures including a US Congressman and a Brooklyn district representative, as well as leaders of major community organizations stepping foot on site, Haus of K was imprinted as a platform that aggregates local social interest in New York, beyond just a commercial space. Industry officials from VT Cosmetics, Kolmar Korea, and others also assembled to explore the future of K-Beauty.

Ga Hye Park, CEO of Sinsuru, stated, "It is a symbolic space that embodies the Korean lifestyle beyond a simple pop-up," hinting that they led to practical follow-up discussions with various buyers on-site, ranging from Nordstrom to TJ Maxx.

Co-partner Su Jung Oh, CEO of K-Beauty Ave, also shared her thoughts, saying, "It will be a new platform connecting verified data and brands for American buyers who are agonizing over the 'criteria for selection.'"

One American buyer evaluated, "It is a place that quenched the thirst for information to judge a brand," adding, "It is a cradle of reliable brands backed by actual sales data.

Afterward, on Saturday the 13th, it opened to the general public, proving the heated interest in K-Beauty with over 250 people lining up even before the 10:00 AM opening. The visitors who entered did not rush, but toured the 20 K-Beauty brand booths, enjoying in-depth conversations and experiences. More than 500 people visited on that day alone, and long lines formed for experiential content such as AI skin diagnosis.

CEO A Ram Baek said, "As we aimed for a three-month long-term operation, we implemented a pleasant viewing environment differentiated from crowded pop-up stores by dispersing daily visitors through advance RSVPs(Attendance or Not)."

Visitors crowding the skin diagnosis corner utilizing AI technology / Source=NURIHAUS

Where is the Next City After New York?

In the 2nd-floor space on-site, starting with the pop-ups of 20 brands, a relay of diverse programs mediated by K-Culture, such as beauty classes, creator workshops, and live commerce, will continue.

CEO A Ram Baek stated, "It is a platform that sustainably delivers the value of Korea beyond a simple pop-up," adding, "We are already receiving expansion proposals from various cities around the world." CEO Jean Kim, who oversaw the site, also expressed anticipation, saying, "Local guests are accurately reading the unique scalability of Haus of K."

The future drawn by NURIHAUS is clear. It is 'An interactive marketplace' that helps Korean brands settle in the United States by intersecting creator communities, retail, and content. It dreams of being a platform testing ground where sales data and market reactions are accumulated in real-time, rather than simply a store where items are sold.

CEO of NURIHAUS, A Ram Baek(far left) and officials / Source=NURIHAUS

The stage to prove the possibility of whether the little 'Seoul' built in a corner of Brooklyn can expand beyond New York to another city has just begun.

By Moon-kyoo Lee (munch@itdonga.com)