Subject:
South Korea Export Guide
Reading Time:
10 Min
Date:
Dec 8, 2025
Exporting to South Korea
Located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, is one of the significant trade hubs with a population of 51 million. South Korea has experienced incredible economic development over the last thirty years and has increased its foreign trade activities in line with this momentum. With exports accounting for 55% of all commercial activities, the country is a rich market and a focus for Turkish investors and companies due to its openness to the outside world. Its largest companies are mostly groups that generate revenue from international trade. Due to its ranking fifth in the ease of doing business index, we can say that export activities are quite easy. However, there are some points to consider in Turkey's exports to South Korea.
How to Export to South Korea?
With one of the highest internet usage rates globally, South Korea reached nearly 97% of internet users in 2020. The contribution of South Korea to these figures is considerable in the region, where e-commerce activities are very intense. There are more than 70,000 Turks living in the country, which has had good relations with Turkey for many years. Additionally, due to its rich market and e-commerce opportunities, it is also a focus for many Turkish investors and companies. As the world's 11th largest economy, it is also the seventh largest importer globally due to its purchasing power. This situation pleases exporters and stimulates many Turkish companies to sell products.
The vastness of the market and its openness to the outside world also brings competition, making it increasingly important for companies to make the right decisions. As ODS Consulting Group, we are here to help you understand your market with the experience we have gained over the years in this field and support you in the successes you achieve.
What Companies Export to South Korea?
There are a few notable sites and popular products sold on e-commerce sites in South Korea. Thanks to the entertainment sector, which is gaining increasing popularity worldwide, foreigners have also turned to the country's market alongside South Koreans. The most commonly used e-commerce sites include Coupang, NAVER, 11st.co.kr, Gmarket, and SSG at the forefront. Moreover, food shopping sites and electronics sites also have significant user bases. It is observed that pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and electronics are the most sold products on these shopping sites.
Broadly, pharmaceuticals top the list of exports from Turkey to South Korea, followed by machinery parts, motor vehicles, food products, iron and steel, and jewelry. In recent years, an average of 1 billion dollars of exports has consistently been achieved between the two countries, and the targeted figures for commercial relations are much higher. It can be said that efforts are being made, and necessary investments are being planned for this purpose.
What Documents Are Necessary for Exporting to South Korea?
• Firstly, you must establish a company and carry out all your commercial activities under this company. Countries, including South Korea, do not allow individuals to export outside of companies.
• Having an e-commerce and e-export site within your company is crucial for your product sales. You can closely monitor the performance of these products and users' online behaviors through site data.
• Thanks to micro-export, you can easily export your products to South Korea within certain limits via cargo. For this, you must possess an ETGB (Electronic Commerce Customs Declaration) document. Since this document is prepared electronically, it does not require a paper output or physical delivery.
• The commercial invoices requested by the relevant institutions must be prepared for export.
• You should prepare international cargo and delivery documents. These documents must contain details about your product.
• Products that do not comply with certain standards in food products do not pass through customs. In addition, for chemical products and some toys, South Korea requires health certificates; therefore, these product definitions should be reviewed, and necessary procedures should be followed. These inspections are conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), and the entry of unsafe products is prohibited.
• There are different standards for agriculture and industry; these standards should be examined by the relevant institutions.
• In food and industrial products, labeling of origin is mandatory in four lines of the 664 series.
• Due to some agreements and rules, South Korea, which is within the WTO framework, has imposed technical barriers for some products.
• After signing the export form, cargo processing is allowed. Products are inspected twice during transportation.
What Are the Export Taxes to South Korea?
Tax reductions or direct tax exemptions are applied to goods originating from our country at customs in South Korea thanks to bilateral agreements. According to the 2013 Trade Agreement, Turkey and South Korea will eliminate taxes on 90% of all tariff lines for ten years. According to the agreement, as of today, Turkey's tariff lines have been reduced by 65%, while South Korea's tariff lines have been reduced by 80%. The general VAT rate is 10%. The corporate tax rate is also 10%, but this rate can rise up to 35% in income-based companies.
What Products Are Exported to South Korea?
While machinery products stand out in general, it is observed that animal products and food products also play a significant role in Turkey's exports to South Korea. The products exported from Turkey to South Korea and the relevant figures are as follows:
• Human blood, animal blood, serum, vaccine, toxin, etc. = 360,250 (A decrease of 40.6% compared to the previous year.)
• Parts and components of motors classified under positions 84.07 or 84.08 = 40,586 (-6.4%)
• Nickel mattes, nickel oxide sinters, and other intermediate products of nickel metallurgy = 31,296 (+57,855.6%)
• Parts and components for road vehicles = 22,779 (+57.6%)
• Ferro alloys = 19,619 (+740.6%)
• Parts and components of aircraft classified under positions 88.01 and 88.02 = 19,231 (+17%)
• Fruit and vegetable juices = 19,085 (-55.5%)
• Cobalt mattes and other intermediate products of cobalt metallurgy; cobalt and articles from cobalt (including scrap and debris) = 15,229 (+809.7%)
• Processed, treated furs = 13,959 (+29.8%)
• Lead ores and concentrates = 13,883 (+56.4%)
• Pumps for liquids (whether or not equipped with measuring devices) and liquid elevators = 12,716 (-5.6%)
• Gold (including gold-plated gold) (raw or semi-processed or in powder form) = 12,235 (+1,251.9%)
• Sugar confectionery not containing cocoa (including white chocolate) = 11,449 (+41.7%)
• Zinc ores and concentrates = 10,436 (+26.7%)
• Trailers and semi-trailers; other vehicles without propulsion devices; their parts and components = 10,425 (+61.2%)
(Source: 2021 Trademap data, values are in x1000USD.)
What Is the Trade Volume Between Turkey and South Korea Like?
Due to certain diets and consumptions within the Asian framework, South Korea has low food imports from Turkey; however, food consumption behaviors in South Korea have begun to change, leading to a significant increase in food exports from our country in recent years. It is expected that this trade in agricultural products between the two countries will greatly close the trade gap. South Korea generates an average trade surplus of 5 billion each year. As of 2021, the trade volume between South Korea and Turkey has approached 8 billion.
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