Official figures released on Thursday reveal that South Korea's pharmaceutical exports exceeded the $10 billion threshold for the first time in 2025, with domestic production also reaching a new peak.
Data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety indicates the nation's total drug exports last year amounted to $10.44 billion, marking a 12.4% increase from the previous year.
Imports rose by 5.9% to $8.93 billion. Consequently, the pharmaceutical trade surplus surged by 41.9% to a record $1.56 billion.
The export expansion was primarily fueled by the biopharmaceutical sector. This growth is attributed to the expanding market share of domestic biosimilar manufacturers and enhanced competitiveness in their contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) capabilities.
The total output value of pharmaceuticals in South Korea last year reached 33.8 trillion won, a 3% year-on-year increase. The ministry stated this is the highest annual figure since the government began compiling such statistics in 1998.
Production of prescription drugs and finished pharmaceutical products saw the most rapid growth, increasing by 5.3% and 3.7%, respectively.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare noted that over the past five years, the average annual growth rate for pharmaceutical production was 7.3%, outpacing the country's 4.6% average gross domestic product (GDP) growth during the same period.
Data shows that four companies are projected to achieve an annual output value exceeding 1 trillion won in 2025, including Celltrion and Hanmi Pharmaceutical.
Among them, Celltrion's pharmaceutical production grew by 27.6% year-on-year. It is anticipated to surpass 3 trillion won (approximately $1.9 billion) in 2025, becoming the first domestic South Korean company to cross this milestone.
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