Korea's drug exports top $10 bil. for 1st time as production hits record high

Photo from Getty Images

By Lee Kyung-min

• Published Jul 2, 2026 11:11 AM KST

Korea’s pharmaceutical industry achieved a major commercial milestone in 2025, driven by an unprecedented surge in overseas demand for biopharmaceuticals and a record-shattering performance by domestic manufacturers.

According to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the nation's drug exports climbed 12.4 percent year-over-year to reach 15.5 trillion won ($10.44 billion), breaching the psychologically important $10 billion threshold for the first time. Combined with a 5.9 percent increase in imports to $8.93 billion, the surge propelled Korea to a record-high pharmaceutical trade surplus of $1.51 billion.

The export boom coincided with unprecedented activity at home. Total domestic pharmaceutical production rallied to 33.85 trillion won, marking the highest volume recorded since the government began compiling the industry's data in 1998. Overall, the domestic pharmaceutical market expanded slightly by 0.03 percent to a total value of 31.71 trillion won.

At the heart of this growth is Korea’s highly competitive biopharmaceutical sector, which has transformed the country into a global hub for biosimilars, contract development and manufacturing operations.

Biopharmaceutical exports jumped to a record $7.64 billion, effectively accounting for 73 percent of all outbound drug shipments. On the manufacturing side, biopharmaceutical production grew 11.2 percent from 2024 to a record 7.02 trillion won, a rally heavily led by recombinant protein drugs and botulinum toxin products.

The industry's rapid expansion was mirrored by individual corporate milestones.

Celltrion solidified its dominant position by generating 3.23 trillion won in production value, becoming the first Korean pharmaceutical enterprise to cross the 3 trillion won manufacturing milestone. Much of this output was destined for Western economies. The United States retained its position as the largest export market for Korean biologics, followed by Switzerland, Hungary, the Netherlands and Germany.

Beyond core therapeutics, the ministry said the domestic quasi-drug market — which includes everyday health goods — expanded 4.9 percent in 2025. While demand for face masks continued to taper off, the sector was buoyed by resilient sales of toothpaste and sanitary products.

Ministry officials noted that the year's metrics signify more than just temporary post-pandemic growth. Instead, they reflect a permanent structural shift toward high-value biopharmaceuticals and a deeply entrenched global competitiveness that is reshaping Korea's export-reliant economy.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.