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Report
Korea Pharmaceutical - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026 - 2031)
Market Report I 2026-01-16 I 80 Pages I Mordor Intelligence
Korea Pharmaceutical Market Analysis
The Korea pharmaceutical market is expected to grow from USD 23.19 billion in 2025 to USD 23.74 billion in 2026 and is forecast to reach USD 26.69 billion by 2031 at 2.37% CAGR over 2026-2031. This modest rise sits at the intersection of a super-aged society, export-oriented biologics capacity, and pricing rules that favor value-based care. Government funding for biomedical R&D climbs 15% in 2025, signaling sustained political will to back novel therapies even as the actual-transaction-price scheme continues to restrain reimbursement ceilings. Biologics plants in Songdo now supply leading multinationals and drive record pharma exports, while data-protection reforms grant 4-10 years of exclusivity depending on drug class. Cardiovascular drugs dominate scripts because 45.2% of middle-aged and senior Koreans have hypertension. Oncology lines, benefitting from accelerated MFDS review and aggressive R&D tax credits, post the fastest growth through 2030. Digital health laws and the coming debate on tele-pharmacy hint at longer-term channel disruption that could reshape the Korea pharmaceutical market.
Korea Pharmaceutical Market Trends and Insights
Supportive Government Policy Framework for Biopharma Industrialization
The 2023 "Bio Economy 2.0" plan lifts biopharma funding to 36.7 billion won in 2025, trims approval-to-reimbursement lag via an MFDS linkage system, and cements Seoul's position as the world's top city for industry-sponsored trials. These levers fuel pipeline expansion across antibody-drug conjugates, RNA therapeutics, and cell therapies, enhancing export competitiveness for the Korea pharmaceutical market.
Aging Population and Rising Chronic Disease Burden
With citizens 65+ passing the 20% threshold in 2025, chronic illness prevalence soars. Out-of-pocket medical costs for seniors managing multiple conditions average USD 1,163.8 versus USD 456.1 for peers without comorbidities .Government "Essential Healthcare" packages that bolster local clinics and telemonitoring expand long-term demand for antihypertensives, statins, and antidiabetics across the Korea pharmaceutical market.
Drug Re-pricing Policy Compresses Margins
Actual-transaction-price audits and tougher volume caps cut list prices after market launch. Generics still lack decisive price gaps versus originals, curbing competition . Oncology absorbs 46.2% of new-drug spending, squeezing funds for other areas and heightening pressure to renegotiate rebates within the Korea pharmaceutical market.
Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:
Surge in Biosimilar Adoption Backed by Domestic Manufacturing ScaleGrowing Export-Oriented CDMO Contracts from NA & EU ClientsRisk-Sharing Agreements Delay Ultra-Orphan Launches
For complete list of drivers and restraints, kindly check the Table Of Contents.
Segment Analysis
Cardiovascular drugs delivered 14.05% of the Korea pharmaceutical market size in 2025, driven by high hypertension prevalence and strong compliance with combination pills. Oncology outpaces all others at a 4.24% CAGR, backed by accelerated MFDS reviews and robust venture funding for antibody-drug conjugates showcased at AACR 2025.
Anti-diabetic segments gain traction as DPP4 and SGLT2 inhibitors secure guideline status, while GI therapies rebound on new acid-blocker launches such as Fexuclue, whose sales jumped 57% in early 2024. Respiratory products stabilize post-COVID, and rare-disease portfolios benefit from strengthened data exclusivity, increasing their viability inside the Korea pharmaceutical market.
Prescription products held 86.88% Korea pharmaceutical market share in 2025, cemented by universal insurance and strict physician-dispense separation. Branded drugs survive list-price erosion through line-extension reformulations, while generics struggle to win volume due to identical pricing rules.
OTC medicines, though smaller, clock a 3.04% CAGR, helped by a 2012 law that lets convenience stores sell select analgesics. Consumer self-care apps guide dosing and refill alerts, deepening penetration of vitamins and digestive aids within the Korea pharmaceutical market.
The Report Covers Korea Pharmaceutical Market Value & Analysis. The Market is Segmented by Therapeutic Category (Anti-Infectives, and More) and Drug Type (Prescription Drugs and OTC Drugs), Technology (Small Molecules, and More), by Formulation (Tablets and More), Route of Administration (Oral, and More), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, and More). The Value is Provided (in USD Million) for the Above Segments.
List of Companies Covered in this Report:
Yuhan Corporation Celltrion Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. GC Pharma (Green Cross Corp.) Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Samsung Bioepis Co. Ltd. Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. Boryung Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. LG Chem Ltd. (Life Sciences) CJ Healthcare / HK inno.N Handok Inc. Kolon Life Science Inc. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Korea Janssen (Korea Johnson & Johnson) AstraZeneca Korea Novartis Korea Sanofi-Aventis Korea Merck & Co. (MSD Korea) AbbVie Korea Bayer Korea Roche Korea Bristol Myers Squibb Korea Takeda Korea Boehringer Ingelheim Korea
Additional Benefits:
The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
3 months of analyst support
1 Table of Contents
2 Introduction
2.1 Study Assumptions & Market Definition
2.2 Scope of the Study
3 Research Methodology
4 Executive Summary
5 Market Landscape
5.1 Market Overview
5.1.1 Healthcare Expenditure Trends in Korea
5.1.2 Pharmaceutical Imports & Exports Balance
5.1.3 Epidemiology Profile of Key Diseases
5.1.4 Regulatory & Compliance Landscape
5.1.5 Pipeline Analysis
5.1.5.1 By Phase
5.1.5.2 By Sponsor (Domestic vs Multinational)
5.1.5.3 By Disease Area
5.1.6 Statistical Overview
5.1.6.1 Number of Hospitals
5.1.6.2 Employment in Pharmaceutical Sector
5.1.6.3 R&D Expenditure Share of GDP
5.1.7 Value-Chain / Supply-Chain Analysis
5.1.8 Technological Outlook: AI-enabled Drug Discovery & CDMO 4.0
5.2 Market Drivers
5.2.1 Supportive Government Policy Framework for Biopharma Industrialization
5.2.2 Aging Population and Rising Chronic Disease Burden
5.2.3 Duty-Free Access to the EU and United States
5.2.4 Surge in Biosimilar Adoption Backed by Domestic Manufacturing Scale
5.2.5 Growing Export-oriented CDMO Contracts from NA & EU Clients
5.2.6 Universal National Health Insurance Coverage Driving Drug Consumption
5.3 Market Restraints
5.3.1 Drug Re-pricing Policy Compresses Margins
5.3.2 Heavy Reliance on Imported API
5.3.3 Risk-Sharing Agreements Delay Ultra-Orphan Launches
5.3.4 GMP-Qualified Workforce Shortage
5.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis
5.4.1 Threat of New Entrants
5.4.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers
5.4.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
5.4.4 Threat of Substitutes
5.4.5 Intensity of Rivalry
6 Market Size & Growth Forecasts (Value, USD million)
6.1 By Therapeutic Category
6.1.1 Anti-infectives
6.1.2 Cardiovascular
6.1.3 Gastrointestinal
6.1.4 Anti-diabetic
6.1.5 Respiratory
6.1.6 Oncology
6.1.7 Others
6.2 By Drug Type
6.2.1 Prescription Drugs
6.2.1.1 Branded
6.2.1.2 Generics
6.2.2 OTC Drugs
6.3 By Technology
6.3.1 Small Molecules
6.3.2 Biologics
6.3.3 Biosimilars
6.4 By Formulation
6.4.1 Tablets
6.4.2 Capsules
6.4.3 Injectables
6.4.4 Others (Topicals, Patches, etc.)
6.5 By Route of Administration
6.5.1 Oral
6.5.2 Parenteral
6.5.3 Others (Inhalational, Transdermal)
6.6 By Distribution Channel
6.6.1 Hospital Pharmacies
6.6.2 Retail Pharmacies
6.6.3 Online Pharmacies
7 Competitive Landscape
7.1 Market Concentration
7.2 Market Share Analysis
7.3 Company Profiles {(includes Global level Overview, Market level overview, Core Segments, Financials as available, Strategic Information, Market Rank/Share for key companies, Products & Services, and Recent Developments)}
7.3.1 Yuhan Corporation
7.3.2 Celltrion Inc.
7.3.3 Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
7.3.4 GC Pharma (Green Cross Corp.)
7.3.5 Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical
7.3.6 Samsung Bioepis Co. Ltd.
7.3.7 Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
7.3.8 Boryung Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
7.3.9 SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.
7.3.10 LG Chem Ltd. (Life Sciences)
7.3.11 CJ Healthcare / HK inno.N
7.3.12 Handok Inc.
7.3.13 Kolon Life Science Inc.
7.3.14 Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Korea
7.3.15 Janssen (Korea Johnson & Johnson)
7.3.16 AstraZeneca Korea
7.3.17 Novartis Korea
7.3.18 Sanofi-Aventis Korea
7.3.19 Merck & Co. (MSD Korea)
7.3.20 AbbVie Korea
7.3.21 Bayer Korea
7.3.22 Roche Korea
7.3.23 Bristol Myers Squibb Korea
7.3.24 Takeda Korea
7.3.25 Boehringer Ingelheim Korea
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