If you’re interested in K-beauty, you must visit the Sulwhasoo Dosan Flagship Store, one of Korea’s leading cosmetics brands, to learn about its history, try out some of its most popular products, and enjoy interesting classes and a premium spa. Experience the real K-beauty at Sulwhasoo Dosan Flagship Store, which has attracted not only Korean celebrities but also international celebrities such as Tilda Swinton.

The story of Sulwhasoo began in 1932.

Sulwhasoo established Korea’s first cosmetic research center in 1954 and selected ginseng as a Korean cosmetic ingredient. The founder, who started researching and launched its first ginseng-based cosmetic product, “ABC Ginseng Cream,” in 1966, said, “Ginseng is Korea’s best specialty and treasure! Let’s develop cosmetics that are good for the skin with ginseng, the best herbal ingredient!” In 1973, the company began exporting “Ginseng Sammi” overseas, opening the door to K-beauty, which led to Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum (Yunjo Essence) in 1997. The history of Sulwhasoo dates back to 1932 when Madam Yun Dok-jeong, the mother of former chairman and founder Suh Sung-whan, sold camellia oil made by herself in Gaeseong. The merchants who represented the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties can be mentioned as Gaeseong merchants, and Sulwhasoo was born thanks to their temperament and secrets of manufacturing cosmetics.

Dosan Flagship Store has a unique design and Korean sensibility.

In March 2016, Sulwhasoo Dosan Flagship Store opened on Dosan-daero in Gangnam, a street lined with luxury shops. A favorite among domestic and international customers, it is a sensuous space where customers can experience the beauty values and product characteristics that Sulwhasoo pursues. Like Amorepacific’s headquarters in Yeouido and a traditional tea garden in Jeju Island, the offline space is designed to experience Sulwhasoo’s philosophy and story, beauty products and services, and a premium spa with all five senses. Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu of Neri & Hu, selected as one of 40 designers globally who deserve more attention in the “I.D. 40,” incorporated Sulwhasoo’s identity into the architecture and space. Neri & Hu is a rising firm in Chinese architecture, having received great attention for their designs on the New Shanghai Theater and the Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat in China. Meanwhile, the Dosan Flagship Store is designed with the theme of a lantern to symbolize “the light that illuminates beauty” and “the light of Asian beauty,” having both Korean and modern interior design. 

Blackpink singer Rosé and Tilda Swinton’s favorite Sulwhasoo

The boutique where you can experience and purchase Sulwhasoo products is beautiful, but the real luxury is in the premium spa. The spa is known as the favorite spa of Song Hye-kyo, a longtime Sulwhasoo model, and is loved by many celebrities in Korea and abroad.

When it opened, the Sulwhasoo Dosan Flagship Store was the largest flagship store for a Korean beauty brand. In 2021, Sulwhasoo opened the House of Sulwhasoo Bukchon, and in 2023, it partnered with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Blackpink Rosé and Tilda Swinton are the global ambassadors of Sulwhasoo, attracting worldwide attention. Tilda Swinton was photographed at the airport carrying an orange paper bag full of Sulwhasoo products on her way back from a visit to Korea, and she also narrated a commercial for Sulwhasoo as a ginseng character. Through this experience, she changed her perception of ginseng from being associated with health and ginseng tea to recognizing it as an energizing premium cosmetic ingredient.

We also recommend visiting “the House of Sulwhasoo Bukchon,” located in Bukchon Village next to Gyeongbokgung Palace. It’s a unique space where a hanok (traditional Korean house) is filled with Sulwhasoo’s business philosophy, making every corner a photo zone.