Cross-border online shopping reaches record high as K-culture items go viral
Backed by booming demand for K-beauty, K-pop goods and a weak won, small Korean exporters are reaching overseas shoppers directly through online platforms.
A gimjang vest, the padded vest traditionally worn while making kimchi and now a hit with overseas buyers after K-pop stars wore it, is listed for sale on the global commerce platform eBay with a photo of aespa's Karina wearing the vest.SCREEN CAPTURE
Korean products are becoming increasingly popular overseas, and smaller sellers are looking to capitalize. Known in Korea as "yeok-jikgu," reverse direct purchasing lets small companies sell straight to consumers abroad rather than through the bulk contracts that drive traditional exports.
E-commerce exports totaled $1.62 billion from January through May, according to data from the Korea Customs Service on Tuesday. The total was already nearing half of last year's full-year exports of $3.34 billion. The figure includes small parcels cleared under a simplified customs process for items worth $150 or less.
The growth is driven above all by the popularity of Korean culture, from K-beauty to K-pop, along with a weak won that makes Korean merchandise cheaper for buyers abroad.
Bae Ki-man, who runs a YouTube channel called Digital Freedom, has sold Korean merchandise through the platform Shopee for two years. His monthly sales have risen about 26 percent over the past year, from $43,000 in June last year to $54,000 this June. The weak won has been his strongest asset, according to Bae.
"Cosmetics and merchandise tied to K-pop idols are my bestsellers, but consumer goods steeped in traditional Korean culture, like dolls in hanbok [traditional Korean dress] or mother-of-pearl ornaments, are unexpectedly popular," Bae said. "It feels like the fondness for Korea that started with K-pop and K-dramas keeps spreading abroad."
The growth shows up across platforms. On eBay, revenue from Korean sellers' overseas sales hit a record in the first quarter, the company said, and their volume has now risen for six straight quarters, since the fourth quarter of 2024.
The pull of K-pop shows up in the bestsellers. The official light stick for BTS — which was updated in February 2026 — topped eBay's global search volume and total transaction value in the first quarter. Light sticks are used by fans to cheer for their favorite idols in concerts.
Listings of BTS-related merchandise on eBaySCREEN CAPTURE
A "gimjang vest," the padded vest traditionally worn while making kimchi and now a hit with overseas buyers after K-pop stars wore it, is listed for sale on the global commerce platform eBay.SCREEN CAPTURE
Korean platform companies are pushing into the market too.
Musinsa, an online fashion retailer, opened an official online store on Tmall Global, China's largest cross-border shopping platform, on June 8. 11Street, an online marketplace, opened a dedicated section on the Chinese platform JD Worldwide. Both aim to help smaller Korean fashion brands, which have struggled to expand abroad, reach Chinese shoppers more easily. Since October last year, Kurly, an online grocery platform, has run a service that ships hard-to-find Korean food across the United States.
The government views reverse direct purchasing as a new export window for Korean consumer goods. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said last month that it plans to develop 10 flagship reverse-direct-purchasing platforms by 2030, along with easier payments and simpler procedures for export declarations and returns. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is helping smaller companies list and sell on global platforms such as Amazon and Shopee.
However, relying on the big platforms alone carries risks, said Kim Jong-bak, chief executive of Tqoon Global, a firm that helps smaller companies sell directly overseas.
"If you depend only on listing with the large platforms, you cannot secure customer data, so it is hard to grow the business, and in the end you have no choice but to depend on the platform," Kim said. "Support needs to be diversified, including by helping smaller companies build their own localized online stores."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
