Hyundai Department Store is preparing to launch COOD, which it describes as South Korea's first speciality select shop built around derma beauty as its core concept.

According to a translated version of the Yonhap News Agency report, the inaugural outlet will open on the basement level of the company's Pangyo store on 18 September.

Spanning approximately 165.28m², the store will stock more than 60 derma beauty brands.

Derma beauty, a term combining “dermatology” and “beauty”, describes products created through research and development involving input from medical and bio-science specialists, aimed at enhancing skin function.

Hyundai Department Store noted that although derma beauty items have already been sold within established beauty retailers, COOD represents the sector's first standalone store format centred specifically on this category.

The retailer intends to open a second COOD location at The Hyundai Seoul in early 2027, with further expansion planned across its department store and outlet network afterwards.

The company also intends to develop skincare lines exclusive to COOD through partnerships with businesses across various industries, including pharmaceutical firms.

Hyundai Department Store Merchandise Headquarters' head of the JAJU MD business division Lee Seong-hwan, as reported by the news agency, said: “Recently, the demand for functional beauty products optimised for individual skin types has been steadily increasing, but it has been difficult to find offline stores that specialise in this.

"Through the launch of COOD, we will introduce a variety of derma beauty products that meet the heightened expectations of customers and provide a differentiated offline experience.”

In June, South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission has imposed a penalty surcharge of Won624.68bn ($411.19m) in June 2026 on e-commerce company Coupang, the largest fine ever issued in the country for a personal data breach.