The Korea Tourism Organization (hereinafter, the Organization) analyzed and released trends in ‘shopping’, which accounts for an overwhelming share of tourist spending by visitors to Korea.

This analysis is based on foreign credit card transaction data from 2018 through September 2025 from the Korea Tourism Data Lab. Shopping accounts for 51% of total tourism expenditures by visitors to Korea, making it a key pillar for understanding the consumption structure and a major indicator for gauging structural changes in the tourism industry.

Comparing 2019 and 2025, the shopping behavior of foreign visitors changed markedly. Average spend per purchase fell from 150,000 won to 120,000 won, but per-capita total spending surged 83%. Behind higher outlays despite lower unit prices is a 124% jump in purchase frequency. Consumers have moved away from focusing on one or two high-priced items to a new standard of buying multiple mid- to low-priced, value-for-money products.

In particular, spending on small, lightweight ‘K-lifestyle accessories’ that capture Korean sensibility and tastes is soaring. From January to September 2025, the number of card transactions by foreigners rose year-on-year by 142.0% at gacha shops, 48.7% at stationery stores, and 39.9% at bookstores. ARTBOX, a leading brand of ‘Korean-sensibility stationery’, grew evenly across airport·transportation hubs and local commercial districts, including Yeongjongdo 550.0%, Isu 325.0%, and Busan Seomyeon 85.4%. This shows a shift from ‘big shopping bag’ consumption centered on large souvenirs to a lifestyle-oriented pattern of collecting personal tastes and sensibilities.

Fashion spending also continued to grow. From January to September 2025, the number of fashion purchases by inbound visitors to Korea increased 23.4%, led by accessories (33.0%), sportswear (32.8%), sporting goods (33.4%), and underwear (59.1%). Underwear, in particular, has accelerated in growth since the pandemic, with Japan (16.7%) and the United States (15.8%) emerging as major consumer markets.

More recently, surges have been notable in Singapore (139%) and Taiwan (114%) as well. By area, Seongsu 2-ga 1-dong (650%) expanded the fastest, while Myeong-dong (62.9%) and Yeonnam-dong (13.9%) also showed steady upward trends. The result reflects the interplay of the distinctive design sophistication of K-fashion and reasonable prices, along with price points that make it easy to purchase multiple items.

Spending on beauty·health products has been growing rapidly for years. After averaging 19.1% annual growth from 2018~2024, it rose a further 40.4% in 2025, cementing K-beauty and K-health as core spending categories for visits to Korea. Cosmetics (35%), pharmacies (67%), and health foods (75%) all recorded high growth rates. In beauty, Olive Young expanded rapidly not only in traditional districts such as Myeong-dong·Gangnam but also across diverse locations including Seongsu Yeonbang (381%), Gyeongbokgung Station (425%), and Songdo Premium Outlet (536%).

The expansion of beauty spending has also driven higher spending at pharmacies. Foreign visitors are seeking everyday wellness products that go beyond treatment, such as skin·nutrition care. Ointments, pain-relief patches, supplements, and basic medicines have been popular, with pharmacy spending rising sharply in places such as Taiwan (342%) and Lithuania (304%). Among these, health foods centered on red ginseng·ginseng increased 75.1% in 2025, marking the highest growth rate among items related to K-beauty·K-health.