Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** South Korea’s bio-health sector achieved a historic milestone in the first half of the year, with exports of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics surging 17.5% to a record $16.12 billion, according to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) — Exports of bio-health products, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and cosmetics, increased 17.5% year-on-year to reach $16.12 billion in the first half of the year, marking an all-time high, according to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI).
By sector, overseas shipments of pharmaceutical products reached $6.06 billion, up 14.1% year-on-year, driven largely by strong sales growth of biopharmaceutical products in European countries such as Switzerland, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Italy.
Medical devices also returned to growth for the first time in four years, driven by rising demand for ultrasound machines. Their overseas sales increased 5.9% to $3.08 billion during the cited period.
Exports of beauty products surged 26.9% to $6.98 billion, boosted by shipments to the United States ($1.1 billion, +49.6%), the United Kingdom ($220 million, +174%), and the Netherlands ($160 million, +297.7%).
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(FIN)