Korea’s Fashion Consumption Reaches 82.9 Trillion Won. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 5 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans spent a staggering ₩82.9 trillion (approximately $61 billion) on fashion products over the past year, with casual wear topping the list and consumers in their 50s emerging as the most active spenders, according to a nationwide survey released Wednesday.
The Korea Federation of Textile Industries reported that between March 2024 and February 2025, monthly surveys of 3,500 men and women aged 16 to 69 across 17 regions revealed strong consumer demand across all fashion categories.
Casual wear accounted for the largest portion of spending at ₩22.5 trillion (27.1%), followed by footwear (₩12.3 trillion, 14.9%) and bags and wallets (₩6.8 trillion, 8.2%). Sports-related apparel — including sportswear, golf wear, and outdoor clothing — came in close behind casual wear, totaling ₩22.7 trillion (27.3%).
Seasonally, fall and winter purchases dominated, comprising ₩47.9 trillion, nearly 58% more than spring and summer spending, which stood at ₩34.9 trillion. Demand for sneakers and t-shirts spiked in the warmer months, while outerwear and cold-weather accessories drove sales during colder seasons.
A clothing store located in Seochon, Jongno District (Yonhap)
By age group, those in their 50s accounted for the highest spending share at 23.6%, followed by consumers in their 40s (22.8%) and 30s (18%). Teenagers accounted for just 2.5% of total consumption.
Online shopping edged out physical stores, with 51.6% of respondents favoring digital platforms. Among online channels, open markets were the most popular (33.1%), followed by dedicated fashion malls (26.6%) and general e-commerce sites (15%). Offline, consumers preferred outlet malls (25.9%), department stores (24.6%), and mixed-use retail complexes (16.1%).
Social media emerged as the leading source of fashion information, with 26.8% of respondents citing it as their primary medium — a trend especially strong among younger consumers.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
