Koreans step up their buying from foreign retail websites

Recent data show that more Koreans are interested in buying goods directly from foreign online retail stores. According to Cheil Worldwide, the advertising arm of Samsung Group, the number of Koreans searching online for ways to buy goods through foreign stores rose 50.5 percent this year compared to the previous year.

Searching for items on Chinese retail sites rose 285 percent and accounted for 20 percent of all web searches. Searches for German goods (up 183 percent) and Japanese goods (up 66 percent) followed.

The types of items that Koreans look for on foreign retail stores also have become more diversified. In 2015, people were interested mainly in fashion goods and baby food. The recent data showed that the demand for electronics items such as external battery chargers and earphones has grown significantly from a year ago. Cheil said that more Korean men are buying goods online.