Cosmetic exports top US$5.6 bln in Jan.-May, Seoul's top consumer export item

Cosmetic Exports Top US$5.6 Billion in Jan.-May, Seoul's Top Consumer Export Item

South Korea's outbound shipments of cosmetics jumped sharply from a year earlier in the first five months of the year, making beauty products the country's top consumer export item, government data showed. Combined outbound shipments of Korean beauty products came to $5.6 billion during the January-May period, up from $4.6 billion recorded a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. The ministry said demand for South Korean cosmetics has continued to expand in Europe and the United States, despite a decline in exports to China, traditionally one of the country's largest overseas markets.

Notably, cosmetics became the top export item among the country's five major consumer goods categories — agricultural and fishery products, cosmetics, fashion apparel, household goods and pharmaceuticals. Over the past three years, agricultural and fishery products had consistently ranked as the largest export category among the five consumer goods sectors.

South Korea's cosmetic exports surpassed the $10 billion mark for the first time in 2024, before reaching an all-time high of $11.4 billion in 2025.

Record Trade Surplus and Government Support

South Korea's trade surplus in cosmetic products exceeded $10 billion for the first time last year, marking a significant milestone for the country's K-beauty industry. The trade surplus in cosmetics rose 13.5 percent from a year earlier to reach $10.1 billion in 2025, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said in a press release. South Korea first posted a cosmetics trade surplus in 2012, at $90 million, and the figure has grown rapidly ever since, rising from $6.6 billion in 2022 to $7.1 billion in 2023 and $8.9 billion in 2024.

Last year's cosmetics trade surplus accounted for 12.9 percent of the country's overall trade surplus of $78 billion. "South Korea's overall trade surplus reached its highest level since 2017, with cosmetics accounting for more than 10 percent of the total and emerging as one of the country's leading surplus-generating industries," a ministry official said. The ministry added that the record performance was driven by the growing global popularity of Korean cultural content, including K-pop and K-dramas.

Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol vowed to foster the cosmetics industry as a new export engine for the country in line with the global popularity of South Korean products. Koo made the remark during a meeting with representatives from major cosmetics firms to discuss ways to further bolster the industry by utilizing cutting-edge technologies, according to the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

"The K-beauty industry has expanded beyond the cosmetics sector to become a future strategic industry combining artificial intelligence, data and devices," Koo said. "The government and the private sector will open a new era for K-beauty created by South Korea that leads the world," he added. South Korea's cosmetics exports came to $3.1 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up nearly 20 percent from the same period a year earlier, separate data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety showed.

Shifting Export Markets and Industry Dynamics

South Korea's cosmetics industry is in the midst of a second global boom, powered not by legal conglomerates but by fast-moving indie brands, sophisticated manufacturers and the growing influence of social media. Once dominated by legacy giants such as Amorepacific Co. and LG Household & Healthcare Co. (H&H) and driven by demand in China, the K-beauty industry is now expanding its foothold in the United States and Europe on the back of a new generation of players. As a result, South Korea has become the world's second-largest cosmetics exporter after France and beauty products are the country's top consumer export item.

The latest figures highlight just how rapidly K-beauty is expanding. Combined exports of Korean beauty products reached $5.6 billion in the January-May period, up from $4.6 billion a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The surge follows a record-breaking year in 2025, when South Korea's cosmetics exports climbed to an all-time high of $11.4 billion, after first surpassing the $10 billion mark in 2024.

One of the biggest changes in K-beauty's rise has been the diversification of export markets. Once driven largely by Asian consumers and fans of K-pop and dramas, Korean cosmetic products are increasingly winning over mainstream shoppers worldwide. In 2025, the U.S. became South Korea's largest cosmetics export market for the first time, with shipments reaching $2.2 billion, surpassing China, once the dominant destination for Korean cosmetics. Europe is emerging as another growth engine. Cosmetics exports to Europe jumped 60 percent on-year through April, reaching $820 million, even surpassing the U.S. market during the period. Industry watchers are increasingly optimistic that the current boom is not a short-lived trend but a structural shift.