South Korea has a surface area of 99,678 km2, about 18% of metropolitan France, but counts 51.3 million inhabitants, which means its population is four times denser than in France. Seoul, its capital, gathers 50% of all South Koreans, who alone represent 70% of the country’s consumption.
Its fertility rate is declining and is currently of 1.25 children per woman. And if the population is still young, it is aging fast, which impacts all sectors, including cosmetics.

The Korean cosmetic market

In 2013, the cosmetic market was estimated at 6.6 billion euros, a 4.8% rise compared to 2012. It is ranked 12^th in the world and 3^rd in Asia after Japan and China.
Sales of high-end brands have been stagnating for two years, losing ground to middle-range brands. But the importance of this mature market mostly lies in the Korean wave known as ‘hallyu’, this Korean culture and trend phenomenon that is spreading abroad and influencing Asia as a whole. Korea is also considered a key test market due to its demanding nature and exposition.

Distribution of sales
With 56% in 2013, the skin care market share keeps growing. But makeup (16%) remains a major product category (nail varnish and lipsticks respectively …