Cosmetics export value South Korea 2014-2021

Cosmetic exports from South Korea have greatly increased in recent years and amounted to around 10.51 trillion South Korean won (about 9.2 billion U.S. dollars according to the source) as of 2021. Thanks to the global popularity of K-beauty, both the production and exports of South Korean cosmetics have grown.

What is K-beauty?

Behind K-beauty’s popularity, there lies a great interest in the external beauty of Koreans. This attitude toward beauty is contributing to creating a unique and sophisticated trend in the Korean cosmetics industry. Korean skincare routines are receiving great attention from beauty influencers around the world. Also, K-beauty products such as mask packs, cushion foundation, and LED masks are gaining popularity.

K-beauty popularity in the world

According to a survey on the global popularity of South Korean beauty products, more than 43 percent of the respondents over the world answered that K-beauty was very popular in their country. In particular, South Korean beauty products were most popular among respondents from India. Nearly 50 percent of respondents in other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and the United States also stated that K-beauty is very popular in their countries. According to the source, the positive effect and good quality of the products were themain positive aspects affecting their purchase decisions.