Samong Cosmetics, Ahn Jung-hwan

This South Korean TV cosmetic commercial produced years ago features soccer football star Ahn Jung-hwan and was rerun reflecting his renewed popularity. Stimulated by ads encouraging men to care for their skin, more men are visiting online shopping malls to buy cosmetics for themselves, and not for their girlfriends or mothers.

The daily sales of Somang Cosmetics' basic cosmetics set jumped six times in June 2002 from a month earlier, according to Interpark, an online shopping mall, the Asia Times reported.