B yunghoon Kim is a South Korean entrepreneur, and the co-founder and CEO of the South Korean beauty-device maker APR Corp (Advance People’s Real Life). He founded the company in 2014 while still a university student, initially experimenting with various mobile applications before pivoting to the consumer goods sector. His breakthrough came with the realization that the beauty market was ripe for technological disruption. Unlike traditional cosmetic giants that focused solely on formulations, Kim championed the development of beauty tech — specifically, affordable, high-performance at-home beauty devices.
Under his leadership as CEO, APR Corp launched the Medicube brand, which became a viral sensation for its AGE-R line of facial devices. These gadgets, designed to improve skin elasticity and absorption of skincare products, found massive success not only in South Korea but also in the United States, Japan, and China. Kim's strategy of combining aggressive digital marketing with direct-to-consumer sales propelled the company's explosive growth. In February 2024, he successfully led APR Corp through a highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) on the Korea Exchange, a move that cemented his status as one of South Korea's youngest self-made billionaires. His portfolio also includes the popular street fashion brand Nerdy and the cosmetic brand Aprilskin.
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Kim Byung-hoon (also known as Byunghoon Kim) is a South Korean entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of APR, a rapidly growing beauty and wellness conglomerate. Born in Seoul in 1988, Kim represents a new wave of young, self-made Korean founders who have rapidly scaled businesses in consumer technology and direct-to-consumer (D2C) retail.
He pursued his education at Yonsei University, where he studied business administration. While still a student in 2007, his entrepreneurial drive was already evident; he launched a virtual fitting service called Epida and a dating matchmaking app. This early experience in digital services and consumer-facing technology provided him with a keen understanding of marketing, logistics, and the Korean consumer's demands for innovation, setting the stage for his pivot into the high-growth beauty tech sector.
Kim Byung-hoon founded his cosmetics company, InnoVentures (later renamed APR), in 2014 at the age of 25. His career is a masterclass in aggressive D2C expansion, particularly in the beauty and wellness space. APR's strategy focused on two key, high-growth areas: digital marketing and beauty devices.
Under Kim's leadership, APR quickly achieved massive scale and secured its position as a major player in South Korea, expanding its production capacity for beauty devices while aggressively pursuing new overseas markets, particularly China. His work ethic is notoriously intense—he is known as a 'workaholic' who follows through on commitments. APR has grown to achieve revenue in the KRW 500 billion (US$ 360 million) range, cementing Kim's status as a self-made billionaire and a powerful figure in the convergence of technology and consumer beauty.
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Launches a virtual fitting service while studying at Yonsei University (Early Venture).
Founds the cosmetics company InnoVentures (later APR) (Founding).
Drives APR's aggressive expansion into overseas markets and production of beauty devices (Growth Strategy).
Continues as CEO of APR, transforming the company into a multi-hundred billion won revenue business (Executive Leadership).
Kim Byung-hoon's wealth is rooted in his founding equity and continued leadership of the private, rapidly scaling beauty and wellness conglomerate, APR.
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Kim Byung-hoon's social impact is structural, stemming from the economic growth and job creation provided by APR in the high-growth beauty tech sector. His company's success demonstrates the potential for young South Korean entrepreneurs to achieve global scale quickly through digital innovation.
His personal commitment is to entrepreneurial leadership and maintaining a highly committed corporate culture. His career provides an inspirational example of discipline and tenacity in the fiercely competitive Asian consumer market.
Kim Byung-hoon maintains the energetic, modern, and youthful style of a successful D2C tech CEO. His attire is consistently professional and polished, favoring smart casual wear, reflecting the fast-paced, digital nature of the beauty tech industry. His aesthetic is one of confident, youthful authority.
Residing in Seoul, his luxury is the immense financial security and autonomy to command a rapidly growing, globally relevant company. His life is defined by his reputation as a 'workaholic' who always follows through on his commitments, a testament to the discipline and dedication required for D2C success.
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+0.55% | +$27.65M
0% | $0.01M
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