Early Life and Education
Byunghoon Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea. In 2007, he began studying business administration at Yonsei University. During his time in college, he spent time in California as an exchange student where he started developing mobile applications and showed a talent for identifying digital consumer behavior. This experience sparked his interest in tech-driven brand building.
Rise to Success
In 2014, Kim founded APR Corp. The company initially focused on cosmetics but expanded into skincare and supplements. A major turning point came with the launch of Medicube in 2016, which quickly gained popularity for its at-home facial devices, such as the AGE-R Booster series. Kim's strategic use of TikTok campaigns and tech-forward products has been crucial to the brand's success. APR's market value is now over $4 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Kim has remained deeply involved in every layer of the company, emphasizing a product-first and data-driven approach. He built APR's in-house R&D team and manufacturing line. Kim has also focused on international growth, with dedicated fulfillment hubs in the U.S. and pop-up stores in Los Angeles.
Philanthropy
While specific details of Kim's philanthropy are not readily available, EcoPro Co., Ltd., where Kim was also listed as CEO, held a "working campaign" with the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation in October 2022 and delivered a donation of KRW 5 million.