A stronger won weighs on K-Beauty share prices despite record exports
The Korea Herald reported on 22 October that APR and d'Alba Global shares fell well below their highs as the won strengthened, even as exports kept rising.
Published
29 October 2026 — The Korea Herald reported on 22 October that shares in several Korean beauty companies had fallen sharply from their highs, even though cosmetics exports reached USD 11.1 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 31.1 per cent, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
What the report described
APR shares were about 39 per cent below their 52-week high of KRW 475,000, and d'Alba Global had fallen to around KRW 167,000 from a high of KRW 283,000. The paper linked the decline to the won's rise: the dollar averaged KRW 1,528 in June and had dropped to the low 1,320s. Overseas markets accounted for 90.5 per cent of APR's first-half revenue.
Analysts quoted in the report separated currency effects from underlying demand. Contract manufacturers Cosmax and Kolmar Korea, which bill mainly in won, were expected to post third-quarter operating-profit gains of roughly 60 per cent.
THE CAST shopping perspective
For international shoppers, a stronger won means an item priced in Korean won costs more in your own currency than it did a few months ago. THE CAST lists prices in KRW, and international card payments are charged in U.S. dollars, so compare the final amount on the payment screen rather than converting a shelf price in your head. Exchange rates change; the confirmed total at checkout is the figure that matters.