Korea's biohealth exports, spanning pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics, reached a record high for a half-year period in the first half of this year.
Biohealth industry exports totaled 16.12 billion dollars in the first half, up 17.5% from a year earlier, according to the "First Half 2026 Biohealth Industry Export Results" released by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute on the 21st.
Pharmaceutical exports came to 6.06 billion dollars, up 14.1% from a year earlier. In particular, biopharmaceutical exports, which account for more than 65% of total pharmaceutical exports, rose 18.6% year-on-year to 3.97 billion dollars, marking a record high for a half-year period. Biopharmaceutical exports to European countries surged, including Switzerland (+63.0%), Hungary (+16.3%), the Netherlands (+76.0%) and Italy (+146.8%). Among pharmaceuticals, exports of toxins (toxins and toxoids) also rose 46.9% from a year earlier, a record high for a half-year period.
Medical device exports came to 3.08 billion dollars, up 5.9% from a year earlier. It was the first time in four years that first-half medical device exports returned to growth. Exports of ultrasound imaging diagnostic devices rose 10.3% from a year earlier, a record high for a half-year period. The increase was driven by evenly rising demand across all continents, including the United States (+14.4%), China (+23.0%), Austria (+18.3%) and the United Kingdom (+93.4%).
Cosmetics exports grew, centered on the North American and European markets, reaching 6.08 billion dollars, up 26.9% from a year earlier. Exports of basic skincare products, which account for about 80% of total cosmetics exports, rose 33.1% from a year earlier to 5.47 billion dollars, marking a record high for a half-year period. "As global demand is expected to continue in the second half of this year, centered on basic cosmetics and biopharmaceuticals, the export growth trend will continue," said Choi Young-im, head of the Biohealth Innovation Planning Group at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
