The South Korean government is launching its first comprehensive support program for domestic retailers and cross-border e-commerce platforms seeking to expand globally.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA announced Tuesday that they will select 13 distribution and reverse-import platforms annually over the next three years for systematic overseas expansion support. Retailers will receive up to 6.3 billion won ($4.4 million) per company with a 30% cost-sharing requirement, while cross-border e-commerce platforms will receive up to 1.13 billion won per company under the same terms.
The program will provide comprehensive support through overseas trade offices, including marketing, logistics, certification, advertising, and consulting services. It will also offer customs clearance information, tariff system guidance, and market intelligence for target regions.
The government also plans to subsidize platform development costs, including international payment and logistics functions. Cross-border e-commerce platforms—where overseas consumers purchase Korean products through domestic and international online malls—are emerging as new export channels for Korean consumer goods. Korea's reverse-import market reached $2.9 billion (approximately 4.2 trillion won) in 2024, nearly tripling in four years.
"We will support the establishment of dedicated global malls to boost cross-border e-commerce and expand marketing and logistics assistance," KOTRA said.
Korean consumer goods exports hit a record $46.4 billion last year, driven by growing global interest in Korean content. In response, the government announced an interministerial plan in December to expand K-consumer goods exports, setting a target of $70 billion by 2030.
The new initiative focuses on helping domestic retailers and platforms develop into global distribution specialists like Amazon by supporting not only overseas expansion but also systems that connect directly with foreign consumers. The program is expected to create opportunities for mutual growth between retailers and consumer goods companies on their platforms, while fostering a virtuous cycle among consumer goods, distribution services, and cultural industry exports.
Currently, most online exports by Korean consumer goods companies rely on global platforms such as Amazon and Chinese e-commerce giants including AliExpress, Temu, and Shein. These foreign platforms are considered disadvantageous for Korean companies in terms of listing fees, pricing power, and customer data access.
"With K-consumer goods gaining rapid popularity in overseas markets, we need to strengthen the export capabilities of 'K-distribution platforms' to capture entire markets," said Kang Kyung-sung, President of KOTRA. "We will provide systematic support to increase both distribution service and consumer goods exports through the overseas expansion of distribution platforms."