K-beauty exports cross $11b milestone in 2025

South Korean cosmetics exports climbed to record levels last year, topping $11 billion as K-beauty continued to expand its global reach, data showed Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, estimated Korean cosmetics exports rose 12.3 percent on-year to $11.4 billion in 2025, the highest annual total on record. Monthly exports hit record highs all year, and September posted the highest monthly figure at over $1.15 billion.

Korean cosmetics were shipped to 202 countries last year, up from 172 in 2024, driven by rising exports to Europe, the Middle East, Southwest Asia and Latin America.

The United States was the biggest market for Korean cosmetics, with exports reaching $2.2 billion. Shipments to the US have risen steadily since first ranking second among Korea’s cosmetics export markets in 2021, and surpassing $1 billion in 2023.

Trailing the US were China at $2 billion and Japan at $1.1 billion, with exports to China rising 19.2 percent and to Japan 5 percent. While the top 10 destinations accounted for 70.7 percent of total exports, the United Arab Emirates and Poland, ranked eighth and ninth, recorded strong growth of 69.7 percent and 111.7 percent, respectively.

By category, basic skin care products led exports at $8.54 billion, followed by makeup at $1.51 billion and cleansing products at $590 million. Fragrances showed the strongest growth with a 46.2 percent on-year rise to roughly $60 million.

The Drug Ministry said it will continue backing the global expansion of Korean cosmetics through regulatory cooperation and industry support. “We will keep working to ensure that high-quality Korean cosmetics remain competitive and continue to grow in markets around the world,” the ministry said.