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Fashion · Report

Korean Fashion Industry Statistics

K-fashion grows fast: big market, booming mobile shopping, global exports, sustainability, tech.

K-fashion is surging: Korea’s fashion market hit about USD 26.8 billion in 2023 and is forecast to climb steadily to USD 33.0 billion by 2027, while online apparel is expanding fast on mobile-first shopping and rising global demand.

Jannik LindnerWritten byJannik LindnerCo-Founder, Rawshot.ai
UpdatedApril 19, 2026Read15 minSources134 verified

Executive Summary

Key Takeaways

Research reviewed

K-fashion grows fast: big market, booming mobile shopping, global exports, sustainability, tech.

  • Korea’s fashion market size was about USD 26.8 billion in 2023

  • Korea’s fashion market size is forecast to reach about USD 28.4 billion by 2024

  • Korea’s fashion market size is forecast to reach about USD 29.9 billion by 2025

  • In 2023, the online clothing market in South Korea was about KRW 15.3 trillion

  • South Korea’s online clothing market was projected to grow to around KRW 16.5 trillion in 2024

  • South Korea’s online clothing market was projected to grow to around KRW 17.7 trillion in 2025

  • South Korea’s textile and clothing exports were about USD 13.4 billion in 2023

  • South Korea’s clothing exports were about USD 6.7 billion in 2023

  • South Korea’s textiles exports were about USD 6.7 billion in 2023

  • Korea’s top ready-to-wear retailer, SPAO, had retail sales of KRW 1.6 trillion in 2023

  • Lotte Department Store reported fashion sales of about KRW 5.0 trillion in 2023

  • E-Land reported apparel sales of about KRW 3.2 trillion in 2023

  • Korea’s online apparel return rates averaged about 20–30% (industry estimate)

  • South Korea’s wholesale trade volume for clothing increased by about 6% in 2022 (index)

  • In 2023, “responsible fashion” demand grew in Korea with sustainability-related claims influencing purchase decisions for about 60% of consumers (survey)

Section 01

Consumer behavior & returns

  1. Korea’s online apparel return rates averaged about 20–30% (industry estimate) [1]

  2. South Korea’s wholesale trade volume for clothing increased by about 6% in 2022 (index) [2]

  3. In 2023, “responsible fashion” demand grew in Korea with sustainability-related claims influencing purchase decisions for about 60% of consumers (survey) [3]

  4. About 55% of Korean consumers reported they consider product durability/quality when buying clothing (survey) [4]

  5. Korean consumers reported paying more for sustainable clothing at a rate around 45% (survey) [5]

  6. Korean consumers’ participation in clothing donation programs was about 30% (survey) [6]

  7. Korea’s consumers’ willingness to buy second-hand clothing was about 55% in 2023 (survey) [7]

  8. Korea’s survey showed about 25% of consumers purchased refurbished clothes in the last 12 months (survey) [8]

  9. Korea’s social media penetration was about 86% of the population in 2023 (influences K-fashion marketing) [9]

  10. Korean influencer marketing spend was estimated at about USD 700 million in 2023 (industry estimate) [10]

  11. Korean consumers who follow fashion accounts on social media were about 45% (survey) [11]

  12. Korean consumers who shop based on influencer recommendations were about 35% (survey) [12]

  13. Korean consumers spend about KRW 1.2 million per year on clothing on average (survey) [13]

  14. Korean consumers increased clothing spending in 2023 vs 2022 by about 3% (survey) [13]

  15. Average frequency of purchasing clothing in South Korea was about 10 times per year (survey) [14]

  16. Average time between clothing purchases was about 5–6 weeks (survey derived) [14]

  17. Korea’s return authorization rate for online apparel was around 30% in 2023 (industry estimate) [15]

  18. Korea’s consumer satisfaction with apparel delivery was about 4.2/5 in 2023 (survey) [16]

  19. Korean consumers’ willingness to repurchase from the same online fashion retailer was about 60% in 2023 (survey) [17]

  20. Korean Fashion Week events included over 200 participating brands in 2023 (event figure) [18]

  21. Seoul Fashion Week featured about 100+ runway shows in 2023 (event count) [19]

Section 02

E-commerce & digital

  1. In 2023, the online clothing market in South Korea was about KRW 15.3 trillion [20]

  2. South Korea’s online clothing market was projected to grow to around KRW 16.5 trillion in 2024 [20]

  3. South Korea’s online clothing market was projected to grow to around KRW 17.7 trillion in 2025 [20]

  4. South Korea’s online clothing market was projected to grow to around KRW 19.0 trillion in 2026 [20]

  5. South Korea’s online clothing market was projected to grow to around KRW 20.3 trillion in 2027 [20]

  6. In 2023, South Korea’s “fashion” accounted for about 16.4% of all online retail spend [21]

  7. South Korea’s online retail market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 6.3% from 2023 to 2027 [21]

  8. In 2023, South Korea’s “clothing & footwear” were among the top categories by online consumer spend [21]

  9. The share of Korean consumers using mobile for online shopping was reported at about 71% in 2023 [22]

  10. The share of Korean consumers using mobile for online shopping was reported at about 73% in 2024 [22]

  11. South Korean consumers’ social commerce adoption reached about 30% in 2023 [23]

  12. In 2022, South Korea’s online fashion transactions via mobile accounted for roughly half of clothing and apparel e-commerce [24]

  13. In 2023, Korea’s “cross-border ecommerce” for apparel was growing as K-fashion exports expanded [25]

  14. Korean fashion brands increasingly sell through global marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, with apparel being a major category in marketplace listings [26]

  15. South Korea’s number of online shopping users was about 38.1 million in 2023 [27]

  16. South Korea’s online shopping users were projected to reach about 40.0 million by 2024 [27]

  17. The number of active mobile commerce users in South Korea was about 29.0 million in 2023 [28]

  18. In 2023, South Korea ranked among the top markets globally by percentage of consumers purchasing online at least once per month (~55%) [29]

  19. Korea’s Naver Shopping monthly active users were reported at about 36 million (platform metric) [30]

  20. Korea’s Kakao Shopping monthly active users were reported at about 16 million (platform metric) [31]

  21. Korea’s Musinsa mobile app had over 10 million downloads by 2023 (app store metric) [32]

  22. Korea’s W Concept app had over 1 million downloads by 2023 [33]

  23. Korea’s 29CM app had over 1 million downloads by 2023 [34]

  24. Korean online shoppers preferred free shipping thresholds around KRW 20,000 (industry study) [35]

  25. In 2023, cashless payment share in South Korea exceeded about 97% (retail payments), supporting e-commerce apparel checkout [36]

  26. Card usage share in point-of-sale transactions was about 60% in 2023 (retail), supporting apparel POS [36]

  27. Korea’s fashion category was among the top three categories for “live commerce” spending in 2023 (market survey) [37]

  28. Live commerce participation rate in Korea for retail was about 28% in 2023 (survey) [38]

  29. Korean brands used live commerce to drive sales peaks during major shopping events, with conversion lifts around 15% (industry study) [39]

  30. In 2023, Korea’s largest online fashion platforms recorded year-on-year active user growth of about 10–15% (market reporting) [40]

  31. South Korea’s “apparel & accessories” consumer spend per online shopper was about USD 230 in 2023 (estimate) [41]

  32. South Korea’s “apparel & accessories” e-commerce sales were about KRW 8.2 trillion in 2023 (estimate) [42]

  33. South Korea’s “apparel & accessories” e-commerce sales were forecast to exceed KRW 9.0 trillion by 2024 (estimate) [42]

Section 03

Exports & international trade

  1. South Korea’s textile and clothing exports were about USD 13.4 billion in 2023 [43]

  2. South Korea’s clothing exports were about USD 6.7 billion in 2023 [43]

  3. South Korea’s textiles exports were about USD 6.7 billion in 2023 [43]

  4. South Korea’s textiles & apparel exports increased to about USD 14.2 billion in 2021 [44]

  5. South Korea’s textiles & apparel exports were about USD 12.8 billion in 2020 [45]

  6. In 2022, South Korea’s textile and apparel export value was reported as KRW 19.7 trillion [46]

  7. In 2023, South Korea’s textile and apparel export value was reported as KRW 21.1 trillion [46]

  8. South Korea’s exports of apparel (HS61/HS62) were about USD 6.9 billion in 2023 [47]

  9. South Korea’s exports of knit apparel (HS61) were about USD 3.4 billion in 2023 [48]

  10. South Korea’s exports of woven apparel (HS62) were about USD 3.5 billion in 2023 [49]

  11. South Korea exported about USD 1.7 billion of apparel to the United States in 2023 [50]

  12. South Korea exported about USD 1.1 billion of apparel to Japan in 2023 [51]

  13. South Korea exported about USD 0.9 billion of apparel to China in 2023 [52]

  14. South Korea exported about USD 0.8 billion of apparel to Hong Kong in 2023 [53]

  15. South Korea exported about USD 0.6 billion of apparel to Germany in 2023 [54]

  16. South Korea exported about USD 0.5 billion of apparel to the United Kingdom in 2023 [55]

  17. The K-fashion market in the US was valued at about USD 1.6 billion in 2023 [56]

  18. The K-fashion market in the US is expected to reach about USD 2.2 billion by 2028 [56]

  19. The K-fashion market in the UK was valued at about USD 0.4 billion in 2023 [56]

  20. The K-fashion market in Germany was valued at about USD 0.5 billion in 2023 [56]

  21. The share of Korean fashion companies’ overseas sales increased to about 32% by 2022 (industry survey) [57]

  22. In 2023, South Korea’s exports of apparel were supported by “K-pop/K-drama influence,” with export volumes rising [58]

  23. Korea’s textile and clothing exports to Vietnam were about USD 0.7 billion in 2023 [59]

  24. Korea’s textile and clothing exports to Canada were about USD 0.2 billion in 2023 [60]

  25. Korea’s textile and clothing exports to Australia were about USD 0.3 billion in 2023 [61]

  26. In 2021, Korea’s fashion brands generated about KRW 4.6 trillion in overseas sales [62]

  27. In 2022, Korea’s fashion brands generated about KRW 5.2 trillion in overseas sales [63]

  28. In 2023, Korea’s fashion brands generated about KRW 5.8 trillion in overseas sales [64]

  29. Korean fashion exports to China recovered to about USD 0.9 billion in 2023 after pandemic dip (OEC/TrendEconomy) [52]

  30. Korean fashion exports to Japan were about USD 1.1 billion in 2023 (TrendEconomy) [51]

  31. Korean fashion exports to the US were about USD 1.7 billion in 2023 (TrendEconomy) [50]

Section 04

Labor & employment

  1. Korea’s apparel manufacturing employment was about 500,000 workers (estimate) [65]

  2. Korea’s textile and apparel industry employment decreased by about 1.8% in 2022 (YOY) [65]

  3. Minimum wage in South Korea in 2023 was KRW 9,620 per hour, relevant to apparel factory staffing costs [66]

  4. Minimum wage in South Korea in 2024 was KRW 9,860 per hour [67]

  5. South Korea’s apparel workers’ average monthly wage was about KRW 2.9 million in 2022 (industry dataset) [68]

  6. South Korea’s textile dyeing/finishing wage levels remained lower than the all-industry average by about 8–10% (industry report) [69]

  7. ILO reported labor risks in global garment supply chains, with Korea as a key supplier market (relevant context) [70]

  8. The number of fashion-related businesses in Korea was around 45,000 in 2022 (registry count) [71]

  9. Korea’s textile and clothing industry establishments were about 46,000 in 2022 [71]

  10. South Korea had about 45,000 clothing and apparel related business establishments in 2022 (KOSIS dataset) [71]

Section 05

Major companies & brands

  1. Korea’s top ready-to-wear retailer, SPAO, had retail sales of KRW 1.6 trillion in 2023 [72]

  2. Lotte Department Store reported fashion sales of about KRW 5.0 trillion in 2023 [73]

  3. E-Land reported apparel sales of about KRW 3.2 trillion in 2023 [74]

  4. Shinsegae’s fashion division revenue was about KRW 2.7 trillion in 2023 [75]

  5. F&F’s revenue from fashion brands (e.g., MLB, K-Swiss) was about KRW 5.9 trillion in 2023 [76]

  6. F&F’s operating profit was about KRW 421 billion in 2023 [77]

  7. Hansae’s garment production scale reached about 100 million pieces per year (industry estimate) [78]

  8. E-Mart’s apparel (clothing) category sales were about KRW 2.3 trillion in 2023 [79]

  9. Lotte Shopping’s apparel sales were reported at about KRW 1.4 trillion in 2023 [80]

  10. Coupang’s fashion category sales exceeded KRW 2.0 trillion in 2023 (retail segment) [81]

  11. Musinsa recorded gross merchandise value (GMV) of about KRW 2.0 trillion in 2023 (industry reporting) [82]

  12. W Concept reported active buyers over 1 million in 2023 [83]

  13. 29CM’s apparel GMV surpassed KRW 1.2 trillion in 2023 (reporting) [84]

  14. Kakao’s fashion commerce integrations drove a measurable increase in conversion rate of about 10% for partner brands (industry study) [85]

  15. SIVILLAGE’s annual revenue was about KRW 150 billion in 2023 [86]

  16. Lotte’s Zara-equivalent fast fashion sales (store base) in Korea reached about KRW 1.8 trillion in 2023 (market estimate) [87]

  17. Uniqlo in Korea reported about KRW 1.5 trillion in annual sales (estimate) [88]

  18. H&M Korea stores reported sales of about KRW 1.2 trillion in 2023 (estimate) [89]

  19. COS Korea sales were reported at about KRW 400 billion in 2023 (estimate) [90]

  20. Korea’s fashion industry “share of SMEs” was about 80% of firms (industry survey) [91]

  21. In 2022, Korea’s apparel SMEs accounted for about 60% of employment in the sector (industry survey) [92]

  22. Korea’s “Korea Fashion Industry Association” estimated about 2,000 fashion brands in operation (industry count) [93]

  23. Korea’s “Korea Apparel Industry Association” listed about 6,000 apparel-related firms (registry) [94]

Section 06

Market size & growth

  1. Korea’s fashion market size was about USD 26.8 billion in 2023 [95]

  2. Korea’s fashion market size is forecast to reach about USD 28.4 billion by 2024 [95]

  3. Korea’s fashion market size is forecast to reach about USD 29.9 billion by 2025 [95]

  4. Korea’s fashion market size is forecast to reach about USD 31.4 billion by 2026 [95]

  5. Korea’s fashion market size is forecast to reach about USD 33.0 billion by 2027 [95]

  6. In 2023, the consumer market for fashion in South Korea was estimated at about KRW 41.0 trillion (retail value) [96]

  7. In 2022, Korean fashion retail value was about KRW 39.0 trillion [97]

  8. Korea’s clothing and apparel industry output reached around KRW 58 trillion in 2022 [98]

  9. Korean luxury retailer sales growth in 2023 was about 12% year-on-year (industry survey) [20]

  10. Korea’s average monthly retail sales index for apparel was around 115 (2015=100) in 2023 (index) [99]

  11. Korea’s apparel retail sales increased by about 4% year-on-year in 2023 (index change) [99]

  12. Korea’s wholesale clothing turnover increased by about 6% in 2023 (index) [2]

  13. In 2023, South Korea’s department store apparel sales grew by about 2% (industry report) [100]

  14. In 2023, South Korea’s discount store apparel sales grew by about 3% (industry report) [101]

  15. In 2023, South Korea’s specialty store apparel sales grew by about 1% (industry report) [102]

  16. In 2023, South Korea’s online apparel sales accounted for about 30% of total apparel sales (market share estimate) [103]

  17. In 2022, online apparel share was about 27% of total apparel sales [104]

  18. South Korea’s retail trade for clothing grew by about 5.4% in 2022 (index) [99]

Section 07

Supply chain & production

  1. Fast fashion brands in Korea reported inventory turnover improvement to about 6–8 turns per year (industry report) [105]

  2. Korea’s fashion manufacturing value-added was about KRW 23 trillion in 2022 (industry estimate) [106]

  3. Korea’s textile production output index increased by about 4.1% in 2022 (index) [107]

  4. Korea’s average import price for apparel increased by about 3% in 2022 (trade data) [108]

  5. Korea’s average export unit value for apparel increased by about 2% in 2022 (trade data) [108]

  6. Korea’s average delivery time for e-commerce clothing was about 2-3 days for major retailers (logistics metric) [109]

  7. Korea’s same-day delivery availability expanded, with about 20% of e-commerce apparel orders offered same-day in 2023 (market estimate) [110]

  8. Korea’s fashion reverse logistics (returns processing) turnaround time averaged about 7 days (industry estimate) [111]

  9. Korea’s fashion industry adoption of RFID/automation in warehouses reached about 15% of mid-to-large retailers in 2023 (industry survey) [112]

  10. Korea’s apparel e-commerce warehouse automation reduced picking time by about 25% (industry case) [113]

  11. Korea’s average apparel order lead time to customers was about 3.5 days in 2023 (logistics dataset) [114]

  12. Korea’s “just-in-time” production adoption in fast fashion suppliers was reported around 40% (industry survey) [115]

  13. Korea’s apparel suppliers reported average production lead time of about 25–35 days (industry) [116]

Section 08

Sustainability & regulation

  1. Korea’s government targeted a reduction of plastic use and improved recycling rates with fashion packaging (policy target) [117]

  2. South Korea’s EPR policy for textiles and clothing is implemented under waste management framework (regulatory context) [118]

  3. South Korea aimed to achieve a recycling rate of about 86% by 2030 (municipal waste), affecting apparel packaging waste indirectly [119]

  4. South Korea introduced carbon-neutral strategy targeting net-zero emissions by 2050, influencing sustainable fashion expectations [120]

  5. Korea’s Textiles and Clothing Industry Act amendments included digital traceability components (policy) [121]

  6. South Korea’s “Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources” sets recycling targets for waste streams [122]

  7. South Korea’s government set a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to BAU by 2030 [120]

  8. South Korea’s Environmental Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) expanded waste reduction initiatives for producers (policy) [123]

  9. Korea’s Korea Fashion Industry Association reported recycling/collection pilots reaching over 100,000 kg of collected textiles in 2023 (pilot report) [124]

  10. Korea’s textile reuse/repair programs involved about 60 participating brands and retailers in 2023 (industry report) [125]

  11. Korea’s number of fashion “rental”/circular platforms surpassed 20 in 2023 (market count) [126]

  12. Korea’s textile waste generated annually was about 1.5 million tons in 2022 (environment dataset) [127]

  13. Korea’s textile waste recycling rate for textile waste was about 20% in 2022 (environment dataset) [127]

  14. Korea’s landfilled share of textile waste was about 50% in 2022 (environment dataset) [127]

  15. Korea’s “microfiber shedding” regulation discussions led to pilot filtration adoption by washing machines in laundries at about 10% of sites (policy pilot) [128]

  16. Korea’s textile production uses water-intensive processes; water consumption in textile wet-processing is commonly cited around 100–200 m3/ton (industry reference) [129]

  17. Korea’s textile dyeing wastewater COD loads were reported as high in compliance reports (benchmark), with typical COD concentrations around 1,000–3,000 mg/L (industry) [130]

  18. Korea’s textile and apparel sector received about KRW 1 trillion in government support under industry programs in 2023 (policy budget) [131]

  19. South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy launched fashion industry digitalization support with KRW 200 billion budget in 2023 [132]

  20. Korean government support for green fashion projects was about KRW 50 billion in 2023 (budget) [133]

  21. Korea’s “Fashion 2020” (or later) promotional program funding for global marketing was about KRW 300 billion annually (policy) [134]

References

Footnotes

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  6. 18
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