This study conducts a network analysis of research related to beauty education in Korea to understand the current state and direction of beauty education amidst the digital transformation brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the development of the beauty industry. The analysis covers 1595 author keywords from beauty education-related papers indexed in the Korea Citation Index (KCI) from 2003 to June 2024. Degree, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, authority/hub score, and eigenvector centrality were measured to derive insights. The analysis revealed that “Beauty Education,” “NCS (National Competency Standards),” and “Curriculum” were the most frequently co-occurring keywords, highlighting their centrality in the field. “Beauty Education,” “Educational Satisfaction,” and “Curriculum” played crucial mediating roles, connecting various subfields. “Beauty Education,” “Curriculum,” and “Satisfaction” ranked highest in connectivity, underscoring their influence in the research network. Lastly, “Beauty Education,” “Curriculum,” and “NCS” were identified as the most connected to other high-centrality nodes, indicating their importance and impact. These findings suggest that beauty education research focuses on systematic structuring, learning outcomes, and learner satisfaction. The study also identified promising topics such as “Make-up” and “Beauty Academy,” which serve as vital connectors within the network. Additionally, the diversification of research topics into psychological and professional aspects indicates a shift towards more comprehensive and practical educational directions. Future research should continue to explore these areas to enhance the academic development and practical application of beauty education.