Korean cosmetics popular at duty free

Amore Pacific and other cosmetics makers here have been enjoying booming business over the past few years in line with the soaring number of Chinese, Japanese and other foreign visitors.

Many non-Korean travelers go on a buying spree for skincare, makeup and other beauty-related goods produced here, with Korean actors and actresses appearing in TV soap operas and movies gaining a wide fan-base in Asia.

An idea behind this shopping pattern among Asian travelers is that if they use made-in-Korea cosmetics, they could look prettier and more attractive like their favorite Korean stars.

The latest statistics released Thursday by the Korea Customs Service (KCS) confirmed this prevailing trend.

Its Seoul office said six duty free shops operating in the capital city sold locally-made products worth 166.8 billion won ($142.6 million) in the first four months of the year. The figure was 64 percent more than the same period last year.

Some Korean travelers heading overseas purchase products at duty free shops but the majority of customers are Chinese, Japanese and other inbound foreign tourists.

Among made-in-Korea items, sales of cosmetics products rose 93.2 percent to 114.6 billion won, accounting for 68.7 percent of the total. Shops also sold ginseng products worth 12.3 billion won, up 53.4 percent, followed by food items valued at 11.6 billion won, 104.5 percent more than 2011.

These three product categories accounted for 83 percent of the total domestic goods sold to foreign visitors, meaning shops need to develop a wider range of products tailored to foreigners’ needs.

“With the popularity of `hallyu,’ or the Korean wave, a growing number of foreign travelers are buying made-in-Korea goods at duty free shops located in downtown,’’ a KCS official said. “But we need to offer more diverse items to achieve a sustainable sales growth in the future.’’ <The Korea Times/Lee Hyo-sik>

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