Korean Media: Chinese Brands Are Seamlessly Integrating into South Koreans' Daily Lives — From Electric Vehicles and Bubble Tea to Cosmetics!

On July 16, Korean media outlet *Herald Economic* published an article stating that Chinese brands are increasingly becoming part of everyday life for South Korean consumers. Their business scope is expanding beyond electric vehicles and electronics into sectors such as bubble tea and cosmetics.

According to data released by the Korea Import Car Association, from January to May this year, BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, secured a 4.8% market share in South Korea’s imported car segment, ranking fourth—after Tesla, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz—and surpassing Lexus (4.2%), Volvo (4%), and Audi (3.8%). By the end of May, BYD had accumulated 7,023 registered vehicles in South Korea.

BYD Korea is accelerating its sales network expansion. The company plans to increase the number of showrooms in the country from 34 to 35 and service centers from 20 to 26 by the end of this year.

It is also reported that another EV manufacturer, XPeng Motors, plans to enter the South Korean market this year.

Xiaomi currently operates eight stores in South Korea. Its primary product line consists of smartphones, spanning three series — from the Redmi series priced between 200,000 and 300,000 KRW, to flagship Xiaomi models approaching 2 million KRW. Recently, products like robotic vacuum cleaners, televisions, and power banks have gained increasing popularity.

Regarding the rapid rise of Chinese brands, a South Korean industry insider remarked: “This indicates that consumers are no longer viewing Chinese brands merely as knockoffs or budget options; instead, they are increasingly trusting their technological capabilities.”

The influence of Chinese brands in food and beverage, beauty, and fashion sectors is also growing stronger. This trend is largely driven by visa-free policies, which have boosted cities like Shanghai as popular travel destinations, sparking greater interest among young South Koreans in local culture.

China’s renowned bubble tea brand, Ba Wang Cha Ji, officially entered the South Korean market in late April, opening stores at three locations including Gangnam Station.

Other Chinese bubble tea chains such as Hushang A’er, Heytea, Cha Bai Dao, and Mixue Bingcheng have also established outlets in South Korea.

The Chinese hot pot chain, Haidilao, has seen its sales in South Korea exceed 10 billion KRW. In the previous year, Haidilao Korea recorded sales of 117.7 billion KRW, marking a 50.9% year-on-year increase. During the same period, operating profit surged by 84.6%, reaching 20.2 billion KRW.

Last year, China’s spicy rice noodle chain Tang Huo Gongfu expanded its franchise count in South Korea beyond 550 stores. The brand achieved sales of 22.5 billion KRW and operating profit of 11.1 billion KRW.

It has been reported that Luckin Coffee, China’s largest coffee chain, is preparing to enter the South Korean market. After overtaking Starbucks in China, Luckin Coffee opened a store in Manhattan, New York, last year.

Chinese cosmetic brands like Huahua Xizhi and Jueduo have rapidly gained popularity among South Korea’s Gen Z through social media. Last year, Huahua Xizhi’s pop-up store in Seoul’s Seongdong-dong attracted large crowds. In the fashion sector, Chinese designer labels such as Shushu Tong are gaining growing recognition.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870848681518083/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.