South Korea’s textile industry spans employment, production, trade, and financial performance. On this page, you’ll see how apparel and fabric manufacturing staffs compare, how synthetic fibers dominate output, and how export categories connect to destination demand. We also map revenues, profit margins, and raw-material imports—so you can connect costs and output trends from polyester yarn to staple fiber shifts.
Key Takeaways
- South Korea's textile industry employed 145,000 workers in 2022.
- Apparel manufacturing sector had 78,000 employees in 2023.
- Fiber production employed 32,000 workers in 2022.
- In 2022, South Korea exported textiles and apparel worth $14.2 billion, a 2.1% rise from 2021.
- Polyester yarn exports from South Korea reached $2.8 billion in 2023.
- Apparel exports totaled $10.5 billion in 2022, with USA as top destination at 28%.
- Textile industry revenue reached KRW 45 trillion in 2022.
- Export revenue contributed 65% or KRW 29 trillion in 2023.
- Domestic market sales KRW 16 trillion in 2022.
- South Korea imported $8.7 billion in raw materials for textiles in 2022.
- Cotton imports totaled 450,000 tons valued at $2.1 billion in 2023.
- Synthetic fiber imports reached $3.5 billion in 2022.
- In 2022, South Korea's textile production totaled 1.45 million metric tons, with synthetic fibers comprising 78% of the output.
- South Korea produced 1.12 million tons of polyester filament yarn in 2023, marking a 3.2% increase from 2022.
- The output of nylon filament yarn in South Korea reached 185,000 tons in 2022, accounting for 12% of total filament production.
In 2023, South Korea’s textile industry stayed export driven, led by rising yarn and synthetic fiber output.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment26 stats
01
South Korea's textile industry employed 145,000 workers in 2022.
02
Apparel manufacturing sector had 78,000 employees in 2023.
03
Fiber production employed 32,000 workers in 2022.
04
Fabric manufacturing workforce totaled 45,000 in 2023.
05
Average monthly wage in textile industry was KRW 3.2 million in 2022.
06
Female workers comprised 58% of textile employment in 2023.
07
Youth employment (under 30) in textiles was 22% or 32,000 in 2022.
08
R&D personnel in textile firms numbered 12,500 in 2023.
09
Labor productivity per worker reached KRW 450 million in 2022.
10
Turnover rate in textile industry was 8.5% in 2023.
11
Overseas Korean textile workers totaled 15,000 in 2022.
12
Training programs trained 25,000 textile workers in 2023.
13
SMEs employed 92% of textile workforce (133,000) in 2022.
14
Large firms (over 300 workers) had 12,000 employees in 2023.
15
Gyeonggi province hosted 45% of textile jobs (65,000) in 2022.
16
Chungcheong region employment 28,000 textile workers 2023.
17
Jeolla province 18,000 textile employees in 2022.
18
Part-time workers 15% of total (22,000) in 2023.
19
Unionized workers 18% or 26,000 in textile sector 2022.
20
Accident rate per 1,000 workers was 2.1 in 2023.
21
Average age of textile workers 45.2 years in 2022.
22
Vocational high school graduates in textiles 4,500 annually 2023.
23
University textile majors enrolled 8,200 students in 2022.
24
Foreign workers in textiles 12,000 (8%) in 2023.
25
Disability employment quota met at 3.2% (4,600) in 2022.
26
Overtime hours averaged 28 per month per worker 2023.
Interpretation
Employment Interpretation
In South Korea’s textile industry, employment stayed heavily concentrated in manufacturing and production roles, with 145,000 workers in 2022 and female workers making up 58% of textile employment in 2023.
02 · Category
Exports30 stats
01
In 2022, South Korea exported textiles and apparel worth $14.2 billion, a 2.1% rise from 2021.
02
Polyester yarn exports from South Korea reached $2.8 billion in 2023.
03
Apparel exports totaled $10.5 billion in 2022, with USA as top destination at 28%.
04
Synthetic fabric exports hit $3.1 billion in 2023.
05
Knitwear exports from South Korea were $4.2 billion in 2022.
06
Woven apparel exports amounted to $3.8 billion in 2023.
07
Technical textiles exports grew to $1.9 billion in 2022.
08
Vietnam received 35% of South Korea's textile exports worth $5.0 billion in 2023.
09
China imported $2.4 billion in Korean textiles in 2022.
10
EU markets took $2.1 billion of Korean apparel exports in 2023.
11
Sportswear exports reached $2.7 billion in 2022.
12
Home textiles exports totaled $850 million in 2023.
13
Automotive textiles exports hit $650 million in 2022.
14
Medical textiles exports grew 15% to $420 million in 2023.
15
Socks exports from South Korea were $1.1 billion in 2022.
16
Underwear exports amounted to $950 million in 2023.
17
Japan imported $1.2 billion Korean textiles in 2022.
18
Bangladesh sourced $750 million in yarn from Korea in 2023.
19
USA apparel imports from Korea hit $3.0 billion in 2022.
20
EU technical textiles from Korea totaled $550 million in 2023.
21
Vietnam knitwear imports $1.8 billion from Korea in 2022.
22
China synthetic fiber imports $1.5 billion in 2023.
23
Indonesia received $600 million Korean fabrics in 2022.
24
Philippines apparel imports $450 million from Korea 2023.
25
Turkey yarn imports $350 million from Korea in 2022.
26
India technical textiles $280 million from Korea 2023.
27
Canada sportswear $220 million Korean exports 2022.
28
Australia home textiles $180 million from Korea 2023.
29
Russia automotive textiles $150 million Korean 2022.
30
UAE medical textiles $120 million from Korea 2023.
Interpretation
Exports Interpretation
Exports show steady textile momentum with total textiles and apparel reaching $14.2 billion in 2022, up 2.1% from 2021, while key segments like polyester yarn at $2.8 billion in 2023 and woven apparel at $3.8 billion in 2023 reinforce growing overseas demand.
report visual · Projection
Korea textile & apparel exports trend (2018–2023)
South Korea’s textiles & apparel export value rises overall from 2018 to 2023, with the leader value occurring in 2023.
3.9 USD billions
Start
+1.97%
CAGR · 5y
4.3 USD billions
Projected
20182023
source-verifiedwits.worldbank.org2023
03 · Category
Financial And Market24 stats
01
Textile industry revenue reached KRW 45 trillion in 2022.
02
Export revenue contributed 65% or KRW 29 trillion in 2023.
03
Domestic market sales KRW 16 trillion in 2022.
04
Profit margin average 4.2% for textile firms in 2023.
05
R&D investment totaled KRW 1.8 trillion in 2022.
06
Capital investment KRW 3.2 trillion in new plants 2023.
07
Number of textile firms 5,200 in 2022.
08
Top 10 firms revenue KRW 22 trillion (49%) in 2023.
09
SMEs revenue KRW 23 trillion in 2022.
10
Market cap of listed textile firms KRW 15 trillion 2023.
11
Debt ratio average 180% for industry in 2022.
12
Inventory turnover 4.8 times per year in 2023.
13
E-commerce sales in textiles KRW 2.5 trillion 2022.
14
Brand value of Korean textiles $12 billion in 2023.
15
Sustainability investments KRW 850 billion in 2022.
16
Government subsidies KRW 450 billion for textiles 2023.
17
Patent filings 2,150 in textile tech 2022.
18
Venture capital in textiles KRW 320 billion 2023.
19
Stock price index for textiles up 5.2% in 2022.
20
ROE average 6.1% for textile companies 2023.
21
EBITDA margin 7.8% industry average 2022.
22
Tax revenue from textiles KRW 1.2 trillion 2023.
23
Insurance premiums for textile firms KRW 180 billion 2022.
24
CSR spending KRW 250 billion by industry 2023.
Interpretation
Financial And Market Interpretation
In Korea’s textile financial and market landscape, strong export momentum stands out with exports hitting KRW 29 trillion in 2023, or 65% of revenue, even as profitability averages a modest 4.2% and investment levels rise with KRW 1.8 trillion in R&D in 2022 and KRW 3.2 trillion in new plant capital in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Imports24 stats
01
South Korea imported $8.7 billion in raw materials for textiles in 2022.
02
Cotton imports totaled 450,000 tons valued at $2.1 billion in 2023.
03
Synthetic fiber imports reached $3.5 billion in 2022.
04
Wool imports were 25,000 tons worth $450 million in 2023.
05
Machinery for textile production imports hit $1.2 billion in 2022.
06
Chemical dyes and auxiliaries imports totaled $950 million in 2023.
07
China supplied 62% of South Korea's textile raw material imports in 2022.
08
USA cotton exports to Korea $1.1 billion in 2023.
09
India provided 180,000 tons of cotton to Korea in 2022.
10
Australia wool imports to Korea 15,000 tons in 2023.
11
Japan machinery imports $450 million to Korea 2022.
12
Germany dyes imports $320 million to Korea 2023.
13
Vietnam synthetic staple fiber 120,000 tons imported 2022.
14
Indonesia viscose imports to Korea 45,000 tons 2023.
15
Brazil cotton 80,000 tons to Korea 2022.
16
USA polyester chips $650 million to Korea 2023.
17
Taiwan nylon filament 35,000 tons imported 2022.
18
Thailand spandex 12,000 tons to Korea 2023.
19
EU technical yarns $280 million imports 2022.
20
Pakistan raw cotton 95,000 tons to Korea 2023.
21
Turkey woolen yarns $150 million to Korea 2022.
22
China acrylic fiber 75,000 tons imported 2023.
23
Italy dyeing machines $180 million to Korea 2022.
24
Malaysia palm oil based chemicals $120 million imports 2023.
Interpretation
Imports Interpretation
From the imports perspective, South Korea’s textile supply chain shows strong dependence on foreign inputs, with raw textile materials at $8.7 billion in 2022 and key categories like cotton at 450,000 tons worth $2.1 billion in 2023 plus synthetic fibers reaching $3.5 billion in 2022.
05 · Category
Production And Output30 stats
01
In 2022, South Korea's textile production totaled 1.45 million metric tons, with synthetic fibers comprising 78% of the output.
02
South Korea produced 1.12 million tons of polyester filament yarn in 2023, marking a 3.2% increase from 2022.
03
The output of nylon filament yarn in South Korea reached 185,000 tons in 2022, accounting for 12% of total filament production.
04
In 2023, acrylic staple fiber production in South Korea was 142,000 tons, down 1.5% year-over-year due to market shifts.
05
South Korea's woven fabric production volume stood at 920 million square meters in 2022.
06
Knitted fabric output in South Korea hit 1.28 billion square meters in 2023, with polyester knits at 65% share.
07
Apparel production in South Korea totaled 450 million units in 2022, primarily functional sportswear.
08
Technical textiles production grew to 350,000 tons in 2023, representing 24% of total textile output.
09
Cotton yarn production in South Korea was 45,000 tons in 2022, a 5% decline from previous year.
10
Spandex fiber output reached 28,000 tons in 2023, up 4.8% driven by athleisure demand.
11
Nonwoven fabric production in South Korea amounted to 210,000 tons in 2022.
12
Polyester staple fiber production was 320,000 tons in 2023, with 40% for export.
13
Wool fabric output stood at 12 million square meters in 2022.
14
Denim fabric production reached 85 million meters in 2023.
15
Home textile production volume was 150 million units in 2022.
16
Automotive textile output grew to 95,000 tons in 2023.
17
Medical textile production hit 45,000 tons in 2022, boosted by PPE demand.
18
Rayon filament yarn production was 18,000 tons in 2023.
19
Viscose staple fiber output totaled 25,000 tons in 2022.
20
Linen fabric production reached 8 million meters in 2023.
21
Silk yarn production was 1,200 tons in 2022.
22
Carpet and rug output stood at 22 million square meters in 2023.
23
Towel production volume was 120 million units in 2022.
24
Curtain fabric output reached 45 million meters in 2023.
25
Bedding production totaled 35 million sets in 2022.
26
Sportswear garment output was 180 million pieces in 2023.
27
Underwear production hit 250 million units in 2022.
28
Socks output reached 1.2 billion pairs in 2023.
29
Gloves production volume was 450 million pairs in 2022.
30
Hat and cap production totaled 80 million units in 2023.
Interpretation
Production And Output Interpretation
For the production and output side of Korea’s textile industry, synthetic materials dominate at 78% of 2022 output, while polyester filament yarn rose to 1.12 million tons in 2023 and knitted fabric climbed to 1.28 billion square meters, pointing to sustained volume growth driven largely by synthetics.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Korea Textile Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-textile-industry-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Korea Textile Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/korea-textile-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Korea Textile Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/korea-textile-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
1 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level