In 2025, the sales growth of online retailing in South Korea was about **** percent, exceeding the growth of the overall retail sector in the country of *** percent. E-commerce has continuously increased over the last decade and exceeded the online transaction volume of almost *** trillion South Korea won in 2023.Â
Online overseas shopping
Not only has domestic online retail experienced growth, but purchasing products online from overseas retailers has become more common, with the transaction value of direct overseas purchases increasing majorly in 2019 and 2020. The list of items most commonly ordered online from overseas was topped by cosmetic products, overtaking categories such as fashion goods and music-related items by far.
Consumers’ preference
There are various reasons for consumers’ preference of online shopping over traditional in-store shopping. In a survey on the internet shopping behavior of South Korean consumers, good value and the convenience of being able to shop anywhere at any time were the most chosen responses. Convenient and fast delivery methods were also an important factor. While next-day delivery is becoming the standard for grocery deliveries, Coupang, an open market platform and one of the leading online shopping platforms in South Korea, is offering overnight deliveries for most products.
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Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. (January 28, 2026). Annual growth of online retail sales in South Korea from 2016 to 2025 [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from /statistics/972975/south-korea-online-retail-sales-growth/
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. "Annual growth of online retail sales in South Korea from 2016 to 2025." Chart. January 28, 2026. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 30, 2026. /statistics/972975/south-korea-online-retail-sales-growth/
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. (2026). Annual growth of online retail sales in South Korea from 2016 to 2025. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 30, 2026. /statistics/972975/south-korea-online-retail-sales-growth/
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. "Annual Growth of Online Retail Sales in South Korea from 2016 to 2025." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 28 Jan 2026, /statistics/972975/south-korea-online-retail-sales-growth/
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, Annual growth of online retail sales in South Korea from 2016 to 2025 ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/972975/south-korea-online-retail-sales-growth/ (last visited July 30, 2026)
Annual growth of online retail sales in South Korea from 2016 to 2025 [Graph], Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, January 28, 2026. [Online]. Available: /statistics/972975/south-korea-online-retail-sales-growth/