Business Development Manager, Korea

The Role and Candidate

The Business Development Manager will lead POP MART's expansion across Korea — driving new store growth, securing strategic partnerships, and strengthening the brand's position in one of Asia's most trend-sensitive retail markets. Working closely with the Korea Country Head and China HQ, you will own the market expansion plan end to end: from site and partner identification, through negotiation, financial modelling and approval, to store opening and post-opening performance. This is a hands-on ownership role for a commercially sharp professional who combines deep Korean market know-how with the ability to operate inside a fast-moving, China-headquartered international organisation.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver POP MART Korea's annual expansion plan — new store count, city coverage and channel mix (직영 로드숍 / 백화점·쇼핑몰 / 팝업 / travel retail).

• Identify, evaluate and secure retail locations and commercial terms across priority Korean commercial district— Gangnam, Hongdae, Seongsu, Busan and other key cities.

• Build and manage strategic partnerships with Korean department stores (Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai), lifestyle and fashion platforms (Musinsa, W Concept, Kakao), and franchise / wholesale operators.

• Lead high-level negotiations on lease terms, revenue-share and concession structures, pricing, and partnership agreements.

• Drive market entry into new Korean territories and evaluate adjacent channel opportunities — travel retail, e-commerce, pop-up and IP collaboration spaces (e.g. POP LAND).

• Own the business case for every initiative: financial projections, capex/opex budget, profitability and payback analysis, and HQ approval materials.

• Track KPIs across sell-through, store productivity and channel profitability; run regular business reviews with Korea leadership and China HQ.

• Coordinate with Retail Ops, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Marketing and Finance to ensure smooth execution from site confirmation through store opening and campaign delivery.

• Prepare and deliver high-level presentations to internal and external stakeholders in Korean, English and, where required, Mandarin.

• Build, coach and manage the BD / expansion team as the Korea footprint grows.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing or a related field.

• 8+ years of business development, expansion or leasing experience in Korean retail — department store, specialty retail, F&B chain or lifestyle brand.

• Proven track record of securing and opening retail sites in Korea, with an established network across landlords, department store buyers and commercial real estate agents.

• Strong command of financial modelling: P&L, capex/opex budgeting, revenue-share structures, profitability and payback analysis.

• Excellent negotiation and stakeholder-management skills, with a record of closing complex commercial agreements.

• Native-level Korean and business-level English; Mandarin