Shifting Tastes: Korean Cuisine’s Rising Popularity and Declining Cosmetics Influence in China’s Consumer Market

The impact of Korean culture on Chinese consumer preferences: A shift from beauty products to food

The popularity of Korean cuisine is skyrocketing in China, evidenced by the increasing export of ramyeon and rice-related items, even as the cosmetic market sees a downward trend in its market share.

Zhao Siqi's perspective on Korean goods has changed. The 28-year-old who works in financial services in Shanghai has a preference for "History of Whoo". This cosmetics brand is promoted by Kim Ji-won, a celebrity known for her roles in TV series like Descendants of the Sun and The Heirs.

However, Zhao has a stronger desire for Korean cuisine. When she's in the need of a spicy treat, she opts for ramyeon, which is essentially the Korean take on instant noodles.

Her friend Ashley Sun shares a similar story. The 23-year-old university postgraduate came across Buldak Bokkeum-Myeon, a spicy instant noodle brand promoted by the Korean girl band (G)I-DLE.

"Sunny Moon, a research manager at Euromonitor International, stated that China has a flourishing market for South Korean food products. She pointed out that this trend isn't confined to just food. The ambiance and environment depicted in Korean dramas, including scenes with street food like tteokbokki, corn dogs, and dakgangjeong, a sweet and spicy fried chicken dish, are being monetized."

In 2017, Korean beauty products dominated the Chinese cosmetics market in comparison to other international brands, as per a study by the South Korean press. However, by 2020, Korean brands slid to fourth place after Beijing imposed limitations on imports from its adjacent country. The previous year, their market share shrunk to 14.2 per cent, a significant drop from 27 per cent in 2017.