SEOUL, South Korea — May 24, 2026 — In China, “520” (五二零) sounds similar to “I love you” (我爱你), which is why May 20 has evolved into a modern Valentine’s Day celebrated widely among younger generations. While the culture is deeply recognized across China, opportunities to reinterpret and experience it globally outside of China have remained relatively rare.

On May 20, 2026, Exprivé hosted 520SEOUL at Mondrian Itaewon in Seoul, reimagining the cultural moment as a cross-cultural business networking event connecting beauty, medical, fashion, and creative communities from Korea and abroad.

“Love yourself in Shanghai. Glow with us in Seoul.”
“在上海塑造自我，在首尔绽放光彩。”

Rather than approaching the evening as a traditional influencer campaign or a dating-focused event, 520SEOUL focused on creating a more natural environment where professionals, creators, brands, and international communities could interact organically in one physical space.

Approximately 300 guests attended the event, including beauty and medical professionals, clinic operators, founders, marketers, Korean models, global influencers, Chinese students and international professionals, and creatives living in Korea. Guests represented a wide range of regions including Asia, the Americas, Europe, CIS countries, Africa, and the Middle East, reflecting the increasingly international nature of Seoul’s beauty and lifestyle ecosystem.

Influencers represented 31% of attendees, while beauty professionals accounted for 17%, medical professionals 15%, and models 6%. Korean participants represented approximately 49% of RSVPs, followed by Chinese attendees at 22%, alongside participants from numerous other nationalities and regions.

Unlike many influencer-centered events built primarily around staged content creation or gifting, the atmosphere at 520SEOUL intentionally blended industries and communities together. Influencers and models shared conversations with advertisers, beauty operators, startup founders, medical professionals, and decision-makers throughout the evening, creating interactions that felt more spontaneous and commercially meaningful.

The evening opened with welcome remarks from Min Baek, founder of Exprivé, who introduced the vision behind the event and the idea of using culture itself as a platform for global connection. Drawing from experience across Korea, China, and the United States in healthcare, investment, and cross-border operations, he emphasized Seoul’s growing role as a meeting point for beauty, medical, and creator industries across Asia.

The event’s co-hosts reflected the broader cross-industry nature of the program.

Eui-sik Yang, Chairman of Asia Model Festival, represented one of Asia’s largest fashion and modeling exchange organizations spanning more than 25 countries. His participation highlighted the event’s connection to broader Asian fashion and cultural networks beyond influencer marketing alone.

Creative Director O-Min, known for work with Seoul Fashion Week and numerous beauty and fashion productions, contributed the visual and artistic direction of the event. The evening’s visual concept centered around “Classic Red – Bold, Not Loud,” blending Chinese-inspired aesthetics with a modern Seoul nightlife atmosphere.

Throughout the evening, sponsor introductions and networking sessions were combined with live music performances, standing mixers, sponsor showcases, photo zones, and informal business conversations. Official sponsors included Quadthera, Dr. Petit, Bricksand, Minish Dental Hospital, and Re4Day, alongside multiple beauty, lifestyle, and product gift partners participating throughout the venue.

Quadthera 

Dr PETIT

MINISH Technology

A jazz duo performance by saxophonist Richard Rho and pianist Sihu Min added a slower and more intimate atmosphere to the night, allowing conversations between guests to continue naturally between formal programs. The live performance further reinforced the event’s intention to feel less like a staged promotion and more like an organic cultural gathering.

The event also introduced future collaboration initiatives connected to Asia Model Festival, including an upcoming model training and runway program for expat models living in Korea, scheduled to continue through AMF Beauty Festa later this summer.

Beyond networking itself, the event reflected a broader cultural message: that Chinese cultural moments can be interpreted and enjoyed globally regardless of nationality. While inspired by China’s “520” Valentine culture, the event was attended not only by Chinese guests, but also by Koreans and international participants who engaged with the concept through fashion, beauty, networking, creativity, and shared experiences in Seoul.

The evening additionally marked the soft debut of Glow Diary Korea, Exprivé’s new platform designed to help international users explore Korean beauty and medical services before traveling to Korea.

https://glowdiary.cc

The platform aims to simplify how overseas consumers discover clinics, explore treatments, and request quick consultations and quotations remotely, making Korean beauty and medical services more accessible to international audiences.

The evening concluded with networking sessions, raffle programs, and ongoing conversations among guests from diverse industries and nationalities, reflecting the event’s broader vision of using culture as a bridge between people, businesses, and communities. By combining Chinese cultural inspiration with Seoul’s global beauty and lifestyle ecosystem, 520SEOUL explored a new format of international networking where creators, professionals, brands, and global communities could interact more naturally beyond traditional influencer marketing events.

Exprivé stated that 520SEOUL is planned as the beginning of a longer-term global exchange platform connecting Seoul with other major Asian cities including Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong through beauty, fashion, medical, and creator-driven collaborations.