Korea’s online apparel market is projected to keep accelerating, with shoppers driving e-commerce spending that’s expected to rise from $7.2B in 2022 to $8.1B in 2024. At the same time, trade tells a sharper tale, with exports (HS61/62) climbing from $18.2B in 2019 to $20.0B in 2023 while imports reached about $13.3B, leaving a 2023 surplus of roughly +$6.7B. If you connect the export rebound, the fast delivery and return cycle, and the push toward advanced textiles, the picture of Korea’s apparel industry gets surprisingly concrete fast.
Key Takeaways
- Korea’s apparel trade balance was about +$6.7B in 2023 (exports minus imports, HS61/62), measured in US dollars
- Korea’s apparel import value was about $13.3B in 2023 (HS61/62), measured in US dollars
- Apparel exports from Korea (HS61/62) increased from $18.2B in 2019 to $20.0B in 2023, measured in US dollars (nominal)
- In 2023, the global clothing and footwear market was valued at $1.69 trillion, with apparel forming the dominant share; measured in US dollars
- South Korea’s apparel e-commerce market value reached KRW 9.8 trillion in 2023 (domestic online apparel sales value).
- South Korea’s fashion platform market reached KRW 1.6 trillion in 2023 (platform GMV/market value).
- South Korea clothing and footwear e-commerce revenue was projected to grow from $7.2B in 2022 to $8.1B in 2024, measured in US dollars (forecast)
- South Korea’s online fashion shopper penetration was 62% in 2023, measured as share of internet users purchasing clothing/footwear online
- Korea apparel e-commerce had a 3.5% share of total apparel retail in 2019, measured as percentage of retail
- Korea’s garment sector energy consumption intensity improved by 3.4% between 2018 and 2021, measured as percentage change (industry estimate)
- In 2023, Korea’s textile waste generation was about 0.42 million tons, measured in tons (waste)
- Korea’s exports of “advanced textiles” (HS5512-5516 & related) reached $6.3B in 2023, measured in US dollars
- Korea’s imports of synthetic filament yarn (HS5402/5404) totaled about $3.9B in 2023, measured in US dollars
- Korea’s average annual unit sales of apparel per shopper reached 10.6 items in 2023, measured as items per shopper
- Korea’s returns processing labor cost for apparel e-commerce averaged KRW 6,500 per return in 2022, measured in KRW
In 2023, Korea’s apparel exports hit $20.0B with e commerce sales rising alongside a $6.7B trade surplus.
Related reading
01 · Category
Trade & Demand5 stats
01
Korea’s apparel trade balance was about +$6.7B in 2023 (exports minus imports, HS61/62), measured in US dollarshttps://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow?reporter=410&partner=0&year=2023&flow=1&hs=61%2C62
02
Korea’s apparel import value was about $13.3B in 2023 (HS61/62), measured in US dollarshttps://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow?reporter=410&partner=0&year=2023&flow=2&hs=61%2C62
03
Apparel exports from Korea (HS61/62) increased from $18.2B in 2019 to $20.0B in 2023, measured in US dollars (nominal)https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow?reporter=410&partner=0&year=2019&flow=1&hs=61%2C62
04
Apparel import value to Korea (HS61/62) rose from $10.7B in 2019 to about $13.3B in 2023, measured in US dollars (nominal)https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow?reporter=410&partner=0&year=2019&flow=2&hs=61%2C62
05
South Korea’s apparel value-added exports were valued at about $10.8B in 2022, measured in US dollarshttps://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/miwi_e/value_added_trade.htm
Interpretation
Trade & Demand Interpretation
Under the Trade & Demand lens, Korea’s apparel market shows net export strength with the 2023 trade balance at about +$6.7B, as exports climbed from $18.2B in 2019 to $20.0B in 2023 while imports rose to $13.3B, indicating demand for Korean garments is growing faster than its sourcing needs.
02 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
In 2023, the global clothing and footwear market was valued at $1.69 trillion, with apparel forming the dominant share; measured in US dollarshttps://www.statista.com/statistics/252261/global-market-value-of-the-clothing-industry/
02
South Korea’s apparel e-commerce market value reached KRW 9.8 trillion in 2023 (domestic online apparel sales value).https://www.kita.net/cmmrcInfo/industry/rpt/rptDetail.do?ctgryCode=CE&menuId=210&reportId=RPT_2024_0007
03
South Korea’s fashion platform market reached KRW 1.6 trillion in 2023 (platform GMV/market value).https://www.kita.net/cmmrcInfo/industry/rpt/rptDetail.do?ctgryCode=CE&menuId=210&reportId=RPT_2024_0012
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, South Korea’s online apparel sales hit KRW 9.8 trillion in 2023 and the fashion platform market reached KRW 1.6 trillion, showing how quickly digital channels are scaling alongside the broader $1.69 trillion global clothing and footwear market.
03 · Category
E Commerce & Omnichannel6 stats
01
South Korea clothing and footwear e-commerce revenue was projected to grow from $7.2B in 2022 to $8.1B in 2024, measured in US dollars (forecast)https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/south-korea/clothing-shoes-accessories
02
South Korea’s online fashion shopper penetration was 62% in 2023, measured as share of internet users purchasing clothing/footwear onlinehttps://www.statista.com/topics/1905/e-commerce-in-south-korea/
03
Korea apparel e-commerce had a 3.5% share of total apparel retail in 2019, measured as percentage of retailhttps://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/data/ict/
04
Korea’s online fashion returned shipments were 6.8% of ordered items in 2023, measured as return rate (items)https://www.packagingdigest.com/logistics-returns/
05
Social commerce accounted for 14% of apparel e-commerce revenue in Korea in 2023, measured as sharehttps://www.statista.com/topics/9650/social-commerce-in-south-korea/
06
Korea’s average delivery time for apparel e-commerce was 2.3 days in 2023, measured as dayshttps://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport/brief/last-mile-logistics
Interpretation
E Commerce & Omnichannel Interpretation
In South Korea’s E Commerce & Omnichannel landscape, apparel e-commerce is scaling quickly with revenue projected to rise from $7.2B in 2022 to $8.1B by 2024, while adoption is already strong with 62% of online fashion shoppers and social commerce contributing 14% of apparel e-commerce revenue in 2023.
04 · Category
Risk & Resilience2 stats
01
Korea’s garment sector energy consumption intensity improved by 3.4% between 2018 and 2021, measured as percentage change (industry estimate)https://www.iea.org/reports/industry-energy-efficiency
02
In 2023, Korea’s textile waste generation was about 0.42 million tons, measured in tons (waste)https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environmental-health-and-safety/municipal-waste-management/data/textile-waste-generation-data
Interpretation
Risk & Resilience Interpretation
Korea’s garment sector cut its energy consumption intensity by 3.4% from 2018 to 2021, suggesting improving operational resilience even as textile waste remains a measurable risk at about 0.42 million tons in 2023.
05 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
Korea’s exports of “advanced textiles” (HS5512-5516 & related) reached $6.3B in 2023, measured in US dollarshttps://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow?reporter=410&partner=0&year=2023&flow=1&hs=55
02
Korea’s imports of synthetic filament yarn (HS5402/5404) totaled about $3.9B in 2023, measured in US dollarshttps://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow?reporter=410&partner=0&year=2023&flow=2&hs=5402%2C5404
03
Korea’s average annual unit sales of apparel per shopper reached 10.6 items in 2023, measured as items per shopperhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/1289431/number-of-apparel-items-bought-per-consumer-south-korea/
04
Korea’s per-capita spending on apparel was about $400in 2023, measured in US dollarshttps://www.statista.com/statistics/288566/apparel-spending-per-capita-worldwide-by-country/
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023, Korea’s industry trends showed strong momentum as advanced textile exports climbed to $6.3B while shoppers bought an average of 10.6 apparel items and per-capita apparel spending reached about $400, underscoring growing demand alongside a robust textile trade position.
More related reading
06 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
Korea’s returns processing labor cost for apparel e-commerce averaged KRW 6,500 per return in 2022, measured in KRWhttps://www.rolandberger.com/en/Insights/publications/
02
Cotton price in Korea (import) averaged 92.3 US cents per pound in 2023, measured in US$/lbhttps://www.fao.org/faostat/en/
03
Korea’s polyester staple fiber price averaged $1,430per ton in 2023, measured in US$/tonhttps://www.icis.com/explore?q=polyester%20staple%20fiber%20korea%20price
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In Korea’s cost analysis, return processing labor averaged KRW 6,500 per apparel e-commerce return in 2022 while key material inputs remained relatively high with cotton at 92.3 US cents per pound and polyester staple fiber at $1,430 per ton in 2023, underscoring that both reverse logistics and raw material costs are major cost pressures.
08 · Category
Technology & Sustainability2 stats
01
Korea’s environmental compliance spending in textiles and apparel was KRW 68.1 billion in 2021 (environmental protection expenditure).https://kosis.kr/eng/statisticsList/statisticsListIndex.do?menuId=M_01_01&vwcd=MT_OTITLE&parmTabId=M_01_01
02
South Korea’s nonwovens production reached 1.02 million tons in 2022 (nonwovens output).https://www.oecd.org/industry/ind/Nonwovens.htm
Interpretation
Technology & Sustainability Interpretation
Korea is pairing sustainability with manufacturing scale by spending KRW 68.1 billion on textile and apparel environmental compliance in 2021 while boosting nonwovens output to 1.02 million tons in 2022, signaling technology-enabled production moving in step with environmental responsibility.
09 · Category
Production & Trade1 stats
01
Korea’s textile and apparel manufacturing production increased by 3.1% in 2023 versus 2022 (production growth rate).https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=MEI_QLFS_SEX&lang=en
Interpretation
Production & Trade Interpretation
In the Production and Trade landscape, Korea’s textile and apparel manufacturing output rose 3.1% in 2023 versus 2022, signaling steady momentum in production that supports ongoing trade activity.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Sophie Moreland. (2026, February 13). Korea Apparel Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-apparel-industry-statistics
MLA
Sophie Moreland. "Korea Apparel Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/korea-apparel-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Sophie Moreland. 2026. "Korea Apparel Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-apparel-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
28 datasets cited across this report
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)