K-Beauty’s glow: Another year, another record-breaking milestone

Beauty products are among the latest popular export items for South Korea and their overseas shipments during the first six months of this year hit a new high.

Our correspondent Park Jun-han files this report.

Once considered cost-efficient cosmetics for locals, K-Beauty products have now gone global and become one of the must-buy items when traveling to Korea.

"Here in the heart of Myeongdong — one of the most popular areas for foreign visitors — you can spot people from all over the world shopping for Korean beauty products.

What started as a domestic trend has now become a key export driver."

"I heard about it through social media in France. We have a lot of channels in France that talk about it, so every French person wants to try it because it works — so yeah. It's my first time; I've never tried it, so I'll try and see."

"We found out through TV. I think it's well known that Korean beauty products are very good. Also, friends and family asked us, 'Are you going to Korea? Can you bring me this or that?' because they know Korean products are very famous for that."

The growth of South Korea's beauty product exports is surging at a dramatic pace, backed by record figures.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South Korea exported cosmetics to 176 countries in the first half of 2025, reaching a total of 5.51 billion U.S. dollars — a 14.8 percent increase from the same period last year.

By country, China, the United States and Japan were the top three importers, accounting for 48.1 percent of total exports.

Although China saw an over 10 percent year-on-year decrease in export value, it still ranked as the number one importer.

The United States and Japan, however, saw remarkable increases of over 17 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

A beauty industry expert says that Korean cosmetics are technologically advanced for their price and are creative in product development.

"Cosmetics companies in South Korea are so technologically advanced and cost-effective that last year we became the third-largest exporter in the world. They're incredibly creative and great at coming up with new products, which is why they're receiving this kind of attention around the world."

Another claim made by the same industry expert is that cultural exposure and influence — such as through K-pop and K-Drama figures — are attracting potential consumers to buy K-Beauty products.

"As K-Dramas and K-Pop have become more popular, people around the world are seeing more of Korean people's skin. I think that has contributed to a perception that Koreans have great skin because they use Korean cosmetics. Most of the products are now vegan, and there are also many functional patents behind them."

With rising demand from all over the world, K-Beauty is now not just a trend — it's a new culture.

And if the current pace continues, 2025 could mark yet another historic high, hopefully surpassing the 11 billion dollar mark.

Park Jun-han, Arirang News.