Direct online overseas purchases by S. Koreans more than double in 5 years

Direct purchases by South Korean from overseas online malls jumped to $42.99 million in 2019 from $15.84 million in 2015, noted Rep. Park Hong-geun of the Democratic Party, citing data from the Korea Customs Service (KCS).

South Koreans bought mainly health foods, clothes, and home appliances from the United States, the European Union, Japan, China, and other countries in the past five years.

The value of foreign direct buying also surged to US$3.14 billion from $1.51 billion in the same period.

The KCS said that the rise in the number and the value of online purchases from overseas shops were influenced by the coronavirus outbreak.

The KCS anticipates the number of foreign direct purchases to surpass $ 40 million this year as it was already at 36.87 million as of the end of August.