South Korea’s health care and cosmetics exports surged to $14.6 billion last year, the result of solid demand, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said.
Outbound shipments of drugs, medical equipment and makeup jumped 19.4 percent from the previous year, with the annual average growth rate for the past five years hitting 21 percent, according to the ministry.
Of the total, cosmetics accounted for $6.3 billion. The next-strongest export sectors were drugs and medical equipment at $4.7 billion and $3.6 billion, respectively.