[Bangkok (Thailand) = E-Daily Reporter KIM EUNG-TAE ] Woori Group, known for its “Jangsu Lamp,” is launching a full-scale health functional food business based on the expertise it has accumulated over 60 years in the lighting industry. The company’s strategy is to target the global market by establishing a one-stop value chain that spans everything from the production of smart farm raw materials using light source technology to the manufacturing of health functional food products, as well as research and development (R&D) and marketing. The company aims to establish a differentiated position in overseas markets by leading with health supplements based on “liposome” formulations, which enhance the absorption rate of active ingredients.

Yoon Ji-yong, CEO of Woori Group, stated at “VitaFood Asia”—Asia’s largest dietary supplement trade show, recently held in Bangkok, Thailand—“The global dietary supplement market is shifting from high-concentration to high-efficacy products,” adding, “The core liposome verification standards proposed by Woori Group will go beyond being a differentiator to become the industry standard.”

Founded in 1966, Woori Group first entered the market with its lighting and display business. Recognized for its technological expertise as the world’s leading supplier of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), the group supplies display products—such as light-emitting diode (LED) packages and backlight units (BLUs)—to major South Korean home appliance manufacturers. Recently, it has leveraged the lighting technology accumulated over decades to develop capabilities in smart farming and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), positioning the dietary supplement business as a future growth engine. The company has completed vertical integration of its dietary supplement business through its affiliates, including Woori Green Science (raw material production), WOOREE BIO CO., LTD(082850)(dietary supplement manufacturing), and WOOREE E&L CO.,Ltd.(153490)·WOOREE ENTERPRISE(037400)(brand management). Woori Group’s dietary supplement sales last year reached 64.6 billion won, a six-fold increase from five years ago (10.4 billion won), and the share of dietary supplements in total sales has recently exceeded 5% and continues to grow.

Woori Group was the first Korean company to commercialize dietary supplements—such as vitamin C and multivitamins—that utilize liposome technology. Liposomes are a delivery technology that uses a “phospholipid bilayer,” similar to human cell membranes, to encapsulate specific active ingredients, thereby increasing the absorption rate of dietary supplements within the body. Woori Group is currently producing raw materials that improve the stability and cellular absorption rate of active ingredients using its proprietary “Lipo Prime” platform technology. Major ingredients incorporating liposome technology include vitamin C, omega-3, glutathione, and polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), among more than 40 varieties. These ingredients feature a liposome particle concentration (based on NTA, or nanoparticle tracking analysis) up to 24 times higher than that of competitors, maximizing absorption by ensuring a dense network of delivery carriers surrounding the active ingredients within the same dosage.

Our Group’s strategy is to demonstrate product reliability by proposing scientific validation criteria for liposomes, thereby targeting the global market. To prove the absorption rate of liposomes, it is necessary to comprehensively analyze not only particle size but also structure, distribution, and functional characteristics. In the absence of global standards for evaluating liposome reliability, Woori Group has established its own liposome verification system consisting of six key verification criteria: morphology, particle size, encapsulation efficiency, stability, gastrointestinal survival, and bioavailability (PK). CEO Yoon explained, “The core role of liposomes is to increase the absorption rate of active ingredients and ensure they are properly delivered within the body, so minimum requirements are necessary to guarantee their functionality.” He added, “The validation criteria proposed by WOORIRO CO., LTD include processes to verify uniform distribution as well as whether the structural characteristics of the liposomes are maintained.” He continued, “As the liposome market continues to grow and regulatory scrutiny intensifies, companies must provide evidence to support their claims,” adding, “Next-generation products will be defined not by marketing slogans but by measurable scientific validation.”

Woori Group plans to expand its market reach by promoting these technical validation capabilities and the excellence of its “K-health supplements,” which are produced in Korea, to the global market. The company is pursuing partnerships with global firms across various sectors, ranging from raw material supply to Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM). CEO Yoon stated, “In the U.S., we are already solidifying our overseas expansion by pilot-launching ‘Harutin,’ our Group’s proprietary liposome dietary supplement brand,” and added, “In addition to China and Vietnam, we recently secured Halal certification and plan to explore entry into markets such as Malaysia.” He added, “Establishing a successful track record in the U.S. market will put us in a favorable position to expand into the global market,” and noted, “We will target the large U.S. market to raise brand awareness and then lay the groundwork for global expansion.”

The company plans to capitalize on the K-Beauty craze to solidify its position in the inner beauty dietary supplement market as well. CEO Yoon emphasized, “K-Beauty is recognized as an attractive product in the global market,” adding, “We will develop our line of liposome dietary supplements—which offer benefits such as skin improvement—into our flagship products to target overseas markets.”