Eastend CEO Kim Dong-jin Receives Presidential Commendation… Recognized for Contributions to Global Expansion of K

Kim Dong-jin, CEO of EASTEND, received the Presidential Commendation at the '2026 Seoul Small and Medium Business Conference' held at the SME DMC Tower in Sangam-dong, Seoul on the 17th, in recognition of his contributions to fostering small and medium businesses and national industrial development.

Eastend is the only company to win in the fashion, beauty, service, and distribution sectors at this competition, which is considered the largest event for the SME industry.

In particular, CEO Kim received high praise for having grown the company over the past 10 years since founding it in 2016 without the support of large conglomerates or foreign capital. Eastend has expanded its business based on the competitiveness of its own brands since its inception and was recognized for its contributions to the development of the domestic fashion and beauty industries and job creation.

Since being selected as a 'First Penguin' company by the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund in 2017, CEO Kim has achieved various accomplishments, including being named a 'Baby Unicorn' by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and receiving a commendation for his contributions to entrepreneurship. This Presidential Commendation is also the result of comprehensive recognition of the growth potential and contributions to the industry accumulated over the years.

Eastend operates the women's fashion brands 'CITYBREEZE' and 'ARTID', as well as the beauty brand 'BENOTE'. Recently, it has been accelerating the global expansion of K-fashion and beauty brands by strengthening its penetration of overseas markets, focusing on Japan and China.

The company also plans to pursue a listing on KONEX within the year in accordance with its investment plan. The strategy is to secure new growth engines based on brand competitiveness and global business expansion.

CEO Kim Dong-jin said, “We have strived to build customer trust with good products and services over the past 10 years, and it is meaningful to have that process recognized,” adding, “We will continue to work to enhance the competitiveness of the K-fashion and beauty industries and expand into overseas markets to contribute to the development of the national economy and industrial ecosystem.”