TikTok continues to see exponential global demand for K-brands with K-content boom on platform

TikTok Korea Global Business Solutions General Manager Matty Lin speaks during the company's media event in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of TikTok

With Korean brands seeing unprecedented sales momentum on TikTok as K-content continues to fuel global demand, the platform is doubling down on Korea as a priority market, pledging heavier investment in new products and business solutions to help local sellers reach global consumers.

“The exponential growth we have seen from key (Korean) brands who set up shops, especially in the U.S. and Southeast Asia, the level of its growth, has never been seen before at all in the industry,” Matty Lin, TikTok Korea’s global business solutions general manager, said during a media event in Gangnam District, Seoul, on Thursday.

"Korea is a priority market for us as a company and we're highly committed to continue investing heavily in this market domestically but also globally, supporting all the key sellers.”

The company shared its achievements for the year during the event, underscoring that the platform’s unique blend of content, commerce and creators is driving unprecedented global demand for Korean brands amid the boom in K-content.

TikTok Korea Head of Operations Jung Jae-hoon speaks during the company's media event in Gangnam District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of TikTok

TikTok Korea Head of Operations Jung Jae-hoon shared that more than half of the main Korea-related hashtag posts created over the past three years were generated within the last 12 months, highlighting the accelerating rise of K-content consumption worldwide.

“K-pop related posts reached 14 million in the past 12 months. There is an overwhelmingly strong number of K-pop hashtag posts on TikTok, demonstrating that interest in K-pop continues to spread,” Jung said.

“The global growth of K-culture on TikTok is very much an ongoing story. According to our research, consumers in Southeast Asia responded that K-dramas and K-pop have made them more interested in Korean products and brands, especially Korean skincare products.”

The company noted its “infinite loop” of content discovery, creator influence and purchasing offers a differentiated shopping experience, from creating a seamless path from viewing trending content to buying.

TikTok has launched a range of business solutions designed to help companies grow more effectively on the platform, such as TikTok One, which supports creator collaborations, and TikTok Symphony, a generative AI creative tool.

To support that expansion, the platform will be introducing new features focusing on product advancement and automation for sellers to run campaigns, ads and shops more efficiently. As a result, Korean sellers can expect a higher and more competitive rate of return.

“At the end of the day, you know our goal is to support many brands to lower the market entry to set up shops very seamlessly,” Lin said.

“In 2026, you're going to see more clients setting up shops in the European markets, in the Latin market, in the Japan market.”