Korea environment ministry signs cosmetics ingredient deal with Cosmecca Korea

South Korea's environment ministry said Tuesday that its National Institute of Biological Resources will work with cosmetics developer and manufacturer Cosmecca Korea to turn native plant resources into commercial cosmetic ingredients.

The institute, headed by Yoo Ho, said the agreement will be signed Nov. 11 at its premises in Seohae-gu, Incheon. The ministry said the deal was arranged to promote industrial use of the institute's mass-cultivation research on native plants and to spread the value of the country's biological resources.

Under the agreement, the institute will contribute its mass-cultivation research capacity for native species, and Cosmecca Korea will bring its ability to develop and manufacture cosmetic ingredients. The two sides will cooperate in finding new cosmetic materials based on native biological resources, developing sustainable technologies that take biodiversity conservation into account, and commercializing proprietary materials for the global cosmetics market. They also plan to exchange technical information and secure joint research results, including patent applications.

"This cooperation will be an important turning point in realizing industrially the infinite potential and eco-friendly value held by our native biological resources," Yoo said. Through the development of proprietary "K-beauty" ingredients capable of leading the global market, the institute would work to consolidate national biological sovereignty and create future growth drivers for the bioindustry, he said.