Seoul: Korean 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 Sunday.

According to Emirates News Agency, combined outbound shipments of Korean beauty products came to US$5.6 billion during the January-May period, up from $4.6 billion recorded a year earlier, as reported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. Demand for Korean cosmetics has continued to expand in Europe and the United States despite a decline in exports to China, traditionally one of the Republic of Korea's largest overseas markets.

Cosmetics became the top export category among the Republic of Korea's five major consumer goods sectors. These sectors include 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 these five consumer goods sectors.

Korean 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.