By jayanne global business editorial committee
Interview with Prof. Gyubong Kim, College of Pharmacy, Dankook University
Director, Human Risk Assessment Research Institute
Opening Statement
“Cosmetic safety must be prepared before problems occur. When data exist, solutions exist; when they do not, one faces difficulty. Safety is not a declaration—it is documented proof. As the industry globalizes and as we enter an era where AI evaluates documentation, the weight of record-keeping will only grow. Consumers expect efficacy from cosmetics. Claims of wrinkle reduction or improved skin are appealing. Toxicology stands on the opposite side. It speaks of what may be harmful or requires caution. It is uncomfortable—but it is a message someone must deliver.”
Professor Gyubong Kim describes the essence of cosmetic safety in these terms. Although he calls toxicology a “less glamorous discipline,” he emphasizes that it plays one of the most critical roles in the cosmetics industry.
He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Pharmacy from Sungkyunkwan University, worked in pharmaceutical licensing and safety evaluation at Youngjin Pharmaceutical and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and later received his Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Georgia. He currently serves as Professor, Director of the Human Risk Assessment Research Institute, and Dean of the College of Pharmacy at Dankook University, balancing education, research, and regulatory advisory work.
We met Professor Kim at his laboratory in Cheonan to discuss the role of toxicology in cosmetics and what companies must prepare for the future.
