What’s My ‘Real’ Hashtag?
#Longevity

When I conduct research, I always think first about how long this technology can positively impact someone’s daily life. With the belief that my work should ‘reach the daily lives of my own family,’ I want to create technologies that endure in people’s lives. That’s why my real hashtag is #Longevity. It means I aim for change that retains meaning over time, rather than chasing short-term results. Through this hashtag, I’ll introduce three keywords that capture my work and daily life: #Skinsight^™, a technology that reads the ‘invisible changes’ in skin aging; #AX Unit Booster, my role in coordinating the pace and direction of research; and #Focus Driven, how I maintain concentration beyond the lab as a hands-on dad. Let me begin my story with these three keywords.

Designing Health and Balance for Life: CES 2026 Innovation Award #Skinsight^™

It’s been ten years since I started my research at Amorepacific’s R&I Center. Winning CES Innovation Awards in both 2023 and 2026 wasn’t just about the technology itself—it was the result of years spent consistently contemplating ‘research that reaches people’s daily lives.’

Throughout my research, I’ve realized something: most skincare is chosen based on feelings or experiences, but actual skin changes begin with tiny, invisible transformations. I thought—what if we could make these invisible changes easy for anyone to understand? Wouldn’t that change the way we approach skincare altogether?

Research that began with this insight led to #Skinsight^™, which won the CES 2026 Innovation Award. Developed through collaborative research with an MIT team, #Skinsight^™ is a next-generation electronic skin platform that analyzes the causes of skin aging in real time and suggests personalized skincare directions. It takes the form of a small patch attached to the skin, detecting even the most subtle skin movements to simultaneously measure four major aging factors: inner dryness, UV and blue light exposure, temperature, and hydration levels. This data is transmitted to a smartphone in real time, where an AI-powered app analyzes it alongside the user’s lifestyle patterns. Through this, users can see which environmental factors are currently affecting their skin most and anticipate what changes might occur in the future.

Actually, #Skinsight^™ is a semiconductor-based flexible material patch, so implementation presented many challenges. However, drawing on the semiconductor processing experience I gained during my graduate studies, I was able to bring it to life as a working prototype after considerable effort. Together with my colleagues, we developed it into a tool for directly comparing and verifying product effects. Now it’s expanding into diagnostic and evaluation technology that can be used throughout the entire product development process—from the research stage through formulation design and efficacy verification. Meanwhile, in 2023, we won a CES Innovation Award for developing ‘COSMECHIP.’ The name combines ‘COSMEtics’ and ‘microCHIP’—it’s a home beauty skincare device designed with the concept that customers can select an ‘active chip’ to have cosmetics tailored to various skin concerns created on the spot.

These ‘active chips’ directly incorporate microfluidics technology, which I’d been honing as my specialty. By precisely controlling liquids within the small space of a card, ingredients become finished products without requiring the large-scale equipment of a factory—we call it your own personal cosmetics factory. At the time, I had opportunities to meet customers directly at events like the Bukchon Scientist’s House, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s ‘One Asia Forum,’ and ‘Beauty Week Now’ with internal customers at headquarters—all while carrying around a working prototype. It provided valuable insights and became a personally memorable experience. It was a moment when I clearly realized that research truly becomes a customer experience when ideas don’t remain mere possibilities but move forward through implementation and validation.

Expanding Research Insights with Colleagues #AX Unit Booster

AX stands for ‘AI Transformation’—the initiative to transform research operations through AI integration. As an in-house #AX Unit Booster, rather than developing AI directly, I’m responsible for helping each organization clarify how best to use AI and for establishing priorities. My role is closer to connecting the flow so that research ideas within the organization can actually move forward into execution. In the past, when I needed ideas, the standard approach was to develop multiple hypotheses first, then search through relevant papers and patents one by one to find direction. Honestly, I wasn’t naturally inclined to use AI. But working as an #AX Unit Booster has really shifted my perspective. I’ve come to realize that ‘AX isn’t some grand transformation—it starts with me simply becoming comfortable with AI.’ These days, when I’m working through ideas, I naturally organize my thoughts through conversations with AI and expand thinking together, almost like working with a colleague.

What I’m ultimately focused on through this work is whether the materials we develop with colleagues are ‘truly reaching customers with optimal effectiveness.’ The goal isn’t just creating good technology—it’s ensuring that value is delivered correctly. Through collaboration that respects what we create together, I want to keep building personalized beauty that actually helps customers in their daily lives.

Finding Strength in Daily Life with Family #Focus Driven

Time spent with my family is truly precious to me. Even in these moments, staying #Focus Driven helps me discover ideas I need in everyday life and gain the strength to continue better research. My daily routine starts and ends with my 34-month-old son. In the mornings, I drop him off at the research center’s on-site daycare surrounded by nature, and after work, I pick him up, feed him dinner, give him a bath, and put him to bed—that’s how I wrap up each day.

My biggest interest these days is definitely parenting. My son’s mother is a flight attendant, and the nature of her job means she’s often overseas, an average of 3 to 4 days a week, so I naturally end up spending more time with our son. We’re also raising two cats. All three kids are now essential family members. There are times when it’s physically demanding, and my body sends signals, but I get to enjoy their adorable moments and laughter up close more than anyone.

And one of the most important routines in my life is late-night snack time with my wife after our son falls asleep. This time to unwind and talk through the day is truly the best recovery time. When the weather’s nice, we head out to the terrace to create a little getaway atmosphere and refresh ourselves from the day’s fatigue. It’s a repeating routine, but these moments of fully immersing myself in life outside the lab are the most crucial driving force that enables me to refocus on my research.

Kyungsup Han’s Recruitment Tip

The biggest tip I’d like to share is this: ‘Rather than molding yourself to fit a goal, make your strengths more distinct.’ Temporarily transforming into a ‘plausible version of yourself’ for some opportunity rarely lasts, and often, your differentiators end up getting diluted. Instead, I think it’s more important to consider what you do well right now, and how that strength might create new value when it meets the right opportunity.

Regardless of my major, I first considered, ‘What technology can I do best right now?’ Rather than rushing to fill what I lacked, I pushed the strengths I already had all the way through, and I believe that choice led to new opportunities. During my doctoral program, I was responsible for designing and implementing biochips from a microfluidics perspective—that’s when I came across Amorepacific’s job posting. It happened to be a ‘microfluidics scale-up’ position for next-generation bio essence (Abcell) research—directly aligned with what I’d been working on. Being able to cross disciplinary boundaries into cosmetics research was possible because I pushed my strengths all the way through. Rather than rushing to fill what you lack, work on making what you’re good at more solid. That strength will ultimately become your most authentic asset, and I believe a moment will come when it attracts unexpected opportunities.

‘My Hashtag’ introduces essential items that represent the members of Amorepacific, who create beauty every day. Through these items, we explore their thoughts on work and how they cultivate beauty in their lives. Meet the beauty that Amorepacific members carry within them.

Curious about Amorepacific’s CES awards history?