APR, an emerging company in South Korea's beauty technology sector, has become the leading cosmetics firm in the country by market capitalization, overtaking Amorepacific and earlier surpassing LG Household & Health Care. This development highlights the challenges faced by the traditional major players in the K-beauty market as new competitors gain prominence.

Based on data from the Korea Exchange on the 6th, APR's stock price increased by ₩27,200 (14.52%) to ₩214,500 as of 9:40 a.m., briefly reaching a record high of ₩220,000 after reporting earnings that exceeded expectations for the second quarter. At present, APR's market capitalization is approximately ₩8.16 trillion.

Established in 2014, APR owns various beauty brands, including Aprilskin and Forment, and MediCube, a rapidly growing home beauty device brand. The company's significant revenue growth has been driven by strong exports to regions such as the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. In order to bolster its global presence, APR recently appointed IVE's Jang Won-young as the new ambassador for its MediCube Age-R brand, succeeding actress Kim Hee-sun.

APR was listed on February 27, 2023, with an initial public offering (IPO) price of ₩250,000 per share, debuting at ₩317,500 per share, reflecting a 27% increase. At that time, the company's market capitalization was ₩2.41 trillion.

On June 23 this year, APR's market value surpassed that of LG Household & Health Care for the first time, securing the second position in the South Korean cosmetics industry. As of the previous day, APR's market capitalization stood at ₩7.13 trillion, compared to LG H&H's ₩4.59 trillion, showing a difference of over ₩2.5 trillion. With its recent rise, APR has now surpassed Amorepacific, achieving the leading position in the K-beauty sector just 17 months after its stock market debut.