Start with the product you want to sell
Start with branded finished-product sourcing if you want to resell an existing Korean brand. Start with OEM/ODM development if you want a product under your own brand. If you are undecided, first describe your sales countries, channels, customers and products of interest. The review changes depending on whether you want to change the brand name, formula or packaging.
This guide helps importers, distributors, retailers and brand teams choose a route. Finished-product sourcing means buying products for resale, not acquiring a company or trademark. Korean business registration and destination-market requirements must be checked separately for the actual transaction and market.
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1. What changes between finished-product sourcing and own-brand development?
Scroll horizontally to see all columns when the table is wider than your screen.
| Question | Existing branded finished products | Your own brand through OEM/ODM |
|---|---|---|
| What will you sell? | Existing branded products whose supply has been confirmed | Your branded products within an agreed development and production scope |
| Where do you start? | Brands, items, sizes, sales countries and channels | Product idea, references, available specifications and requested changes |
| What can you change? | Do not assume formula, packaging or label changes. Requests need separate review | Confirm feasible changes and responsibilities for formula, fragrance, packaging and labelling |
| What needs checking first? | Supply SKUs, stock, packing units and country/channel coverage | Development needs, sample review, components, testing and specification approval |
| How do you compare cost and timing? | Included goods, packing, freight, document requests and arrival terms | Included development, samples, formula, components, testing, freight and approval sequence |
| How are rights settled? | Confirm territory, channels, image use and exclusivity individually | Confirm formula documents, permitted use, exclusivity and conditions for changing manufacturers |
MOQ, unit price and lead time are agreed case by case for both routes. Finished products do not imply available stock or immediate dispatch. Own-brand development does not automatically establish formula ownership or exclusivity.
You can begin an OEM consultation around prepared specifications and manufacturing needs, or an ODM consultation around planning and formulation development. The term private label alone does not tell you whether a formula stays unchanged, is modified or is developed anew. Discuss the materials you already have and the work still needed. See the EVAS development consultation checklist.
2. For finished products, narrow down your shortlist first
Identify the product category and usage situation your customers need. Then review sizes, routine steps and usage situations on these public comparison pages:
- Skincare candidates: compare Fraijour products
- Haircare candidates: compare CeraClinic products
- Hair and body care candidates: compare Pedison products
These introductions help you choose candidates. They do not confirm currently available SKUs, stock or permission to sell in a particular country or channel. If you have no product name yet, describe who would use the product and when. For deciding the roles of several items, see the first K-beauty assortment guide.
Take your preferred brands and items to start a finished-product sourcing enquiry. Brand sourcing will be selected; you can include sales countries, channels and items in your message.
3. For your own brand, identify what needs developing or changing
You do not need a finished brief to start. Separate the materials you already have from the decisions still open.
- If you have an idea or reference product: describe the customer, usage situation, desired texture and what you want to keep or change. Explore the development guide and formulation library, then discuss planning and formulation development.
- If you have prepared specifications or formulation materials: list the types of materials you hold, the manufacturing scope you need and packaging readiness, then discuss manufacturing to your specifications. You do not need to send a complete confidential formula in the first enquiry.
The formulation library supports discussion of development directions. Selecting a concept does not establish a final formula, available stock or readiness for immediate production. Confirm feasible changes and how information can be shared during consultation.
Once you have chosen the product, use the existing guides to sample comparison and feedback and comparing quotations on equal terms. This article focuses on choosing the route.
4. Bring these six items to the first conversation
- Sales countries and online or offline channels.
- Customers, usage situations and product categories.
- Your current preference: existing branded products or own-brand development.
- Brands, products and sizes of interest, or references and requested changes.
- Desired quantities, arrival timing and conditions still undecided.
- Document names, languages and intended uses.
For unknown items, write “Undecided — to confirm” rather than inventing an answer. Desired quantities and dates are requests for review, not confirmed order terms. Use the product and export document checklist to organise document requests. Whether materials are held, can be issued or may be shared is checked by product and country.
5. Questions that often remain
Can we ask about sourcing and own-brand development together?
Yes. Select the consultation type for your main purpose and identify the other route's items separately in the same message. Supply terms and development scope are reviewed separately. Requesting both does not confirm that both are feasible.
Is putting our logo on an existing product finished-product sourcing?
Treat this separately from buying an existing brand's products unchanged. If the logo, label, packaging or contents need changing, first confirm the requested changes and permissions, then discuss the appropriate development route.
Which route is faster or less expensive?
That cannot be settled before checking the products, stock, changes, packaging and documents, destination market and quantity. Compare included costs and open conditions on the same basis. EVAS MOQ, unit price and lead time are agreed case by case.
Next step: send your product shortlist and preferred route
For existing products, explore the brands, then discuss finished-product supply. For your own brand, review the development checklist, then discuss planning and formulation or manufacturing to prepared specifications.
This guide helps you choose a sourcing or development route, and a consultation or the provision of documents does not guarantee market approval. Confirm the destination market's registration, labelling and import requirements, including who must act as responsible person or importer, with your local import or regulatory adviser, based on the actual products and transaction structure. Tell us the products, destination market and proposed arrangement so we can distinguish documents available for sharing from items requiring further checks. For Korea's export-only product rules and a buyer document-request checklist, see what changes for export-only products.