appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Yeon Woo Lee

South Korean e-commerce companies are increasingly turning to Chinese platforms to help sellers tap rising demand for Korean products, offering a lower-cost route into China and other overseas markets without building local operations.
11street, one of South Korea’s major online marketplaces, recently opened a storefront on JD Worldwide, JD.com’s cross-border e-commerce platform, where about 700 million consumers have made at least one purchase over the past year.
The store carries products from about 350 Korean brands, led by beauty labels, processed foods, fashion items and health supplements. Sellers would only need to register their products, as logistics, marketing and other operations would be handled by platforms acting as intermediaries, the company said.
“We hope the store will serve as a catalyst for revitalising e-commerce between Korea and China,” said Shin Hyun-ho, executive director of corporate strategy at 11street.
Musinsa, South Korea’s leading fashion platform, also said on June 8 that it had partnered with Tmall Global to help Korean fashion brands reach more Chinese consumers.
The moves come as Chinese consumers account for an important share of South Korea’s cross-border e-commerce market, supported by the growing popularity of Korean products.
According to South Korea’s Ministry of Data and Statistics, the country’s online direct overseas sales reached 1.06 trillion won (US$700 billion) in the first quarter, topping the 1 trillion won mark for the first time in about four and a half years. China was the largest market by country, accounting for 376.3 billion won.


That demand is prompting more South Korean platforms to deepen ties with Chinese e-commerce operators, as the weak Korean won makes large-scale overseas investment less feasible, according to Humphrey Ho, CEO of investment firm Helios & Partners.
Such partnerships offer an alternative to setting up local subsidiaries or distribution networks, cutting costs while giving sellers access to established logistics, payment and customer-service systems. They can also help foreign brands navigate China’s strict regulatory requirements, analysts said.
“Similar to Waymo partnering with Uber, these collaborations are primarily about gaining immediate access to an established user base,” Ho said. “It allows companies to scale in-house capabilities before eventually operating independently.”
The strategy of using China-linked platforms is not limited to reaching Chinese consumers. Gmarket, another major South Korean e-commerce platform, took a similar route in September, partnering with Lazada, Alibaba Group’s regional e-commerce arm, to expand into Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.
Gmarket, which had linked about 7,000 sellers and 1.2 million products to Lazada when it joined the platform, said sales had grown by nearly 150 per cent in March compared with January. It plans to expand its cross-border sales business in the second half into South Asia through Daraz and southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal, through Miravia, both Alibaba-owned platforms.
Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.


Why Chinese shoppers are ditching supermarkets for small ‘community stores’

Taobao’s ‘ugly’ goods find a growing market among China’s young consumers

Improving migrant workers’ living standards key to boosting Chinese consumption: HSBC

Apple enters a crowded foldable smartphone market in China – can it beat Huawei?

China consumption

China’s e-commerce platforms help unlock global markets for South Korean brands

A dense crowd of shoppers at Musinsa in Seoul, as South Korean online shops team up with Chinese cross-border e-commerce platforms to sell their wares. Photo: Shutterstock

China, South Korea boost commercial flights as tourism increases between the 2 countries

A Korean Air plane at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Photo: Shutterstock

An Air China Boeing 737 at Seoul Incheon International Airport. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s AI chip demand pushes South Korea into a rare surplus with top trade partner

South Korea’s semiconductor exports to China jumped 243 per cent in May from a year earlier, according to according to data from Seoul’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. Photo: Shutterstock

First China, now South Korea: why Asian powers are turning to commercial Arctic shipping

Arctic shipping routes could cut transit times compared with traditional sea routes, such as passage via the Suez Canal and the much longer journey around the Cape of Good Hope. Photo: Shutterstock

US-China negotiations seek a quick Seoul search for deals ahead of Trump’s visit

Vice-Premier He Lifeng (right) gestures alongside US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent before a meeting to discuss trade relations and tariffs on May 10, 2025, just over one year ago. Photo: AFP

How China’s sharper tech edge forces South Korea to rethink decades of industrial ties

An artificial intelligence-powered robot works at a “convenience store” during the 2026 World IT Show in Seoul. Photo: EPA

Economy

Global Economy

China Economy

News

Asia

East Asia

China’s cross-border platforms, which sell to millions of shoppers, are acting as a low-cost route to overseas customers in several regions


China’s cross-border platforms, which sell to millions of shoppers, are acting as a low-cost route to overseas customers in several regions.


China’s e-commerce platforms help unlock global markets for South Korean brands

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}China’s cross-border platforms, which sell to millions of shoppers, are acting as a low-cost route to overseas customers in several regions

China’s cross-border platforms, which sell to millions of shoppers, are acting as a low-cost route to overseas customers in several regions