Popularity of Korean Wave leads to cosmetics export to jump six fold since 2004

The increasing popularity of Korean culture across the globe has had an impact on various sectors of the Korean economy - especially the exports.
But, guess what?
Connie Kim tells us what products are popular overseas... and which countries are the biggest importers. The Korean Wave,... driven by Korean pop music and television dramas,... has spilled over into the cosmetics industry.
The Korea Customs Service said Friday that the export of domestic cosmetics increased six-fold since 2004 to more than a billion dollars last year.

The most popular items were skin care products, which make up nearly half of the market,... followed by make-up products, including foundation and blush at around 20 percent.

The rise was also helped by an increase in the number of countries cosmetics were shipped to,... from 87 countries to 129 countries over the last decade.
Most went to Korea's neighbors in Asia,... namely China, Hong Kong and Japan.


"Our brand has in the past mainly targeted the East Asian market,... nations like Vietnam and Singapore. But we plan to expand to the Northeast Asian market, including China. The Face Shop plans to continue promoting skin care products, such as skin whitening cosmetics, which are most popular to foreign customers."

The Korea Customs Service expects exports of cosmetics to rise even more in the years to come,... adding that it's a money-maker for all involved as the cosmetics industry has a high return compared to investment.
Connie Kim, Arirang News.