Shortage of Korean Masks? ... Immediate Purchase Available in China

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi]#. 10 masks for 47,000 won. If ordered, shipped directly from Korea within 48 hours.

As the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spreads in Korea causing a mask shortage, Korean-made masks are gaining popularity on Chinese e-commerce platforms despite their high prices.

On the 25th, Korean KF94 masks were being sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms such as JD.com and Taobao at around 269 yuan (approximately 47,000 won) for 10 masks. Korean masks sold in China, priced at about 4,700 won per mask, are mainly sold in bundles of 5, 10, or 20. Prices are similar regardless of the brand.

The order page includes a Chinese description stating that the masks will be shipped directly from Korea by mail within 48 hours, accompanied by a photo of the mask packaging with Korean text.

While there is a mask shortage in Korea, many Korean mask brands available on the Chinese internet mostly have remaining stock and can be ordered. Considering that a KF94 mask usually sells for around 2,500 won in Korea, the price sold in China is about twice as high, but Chinese consumers have considerable trust in the quality of Korean masks, making them popular.

Some small Chinese merchants use daigou, Chinese personal shoppers, to procure masks from Korea and sell them to Chinese customers. They mainly attract customers through mobile messengers like WeChat, inquire about purchase intentions, and then ship the products. Most merchants emphasize "genuine Korean product" and "immediate shipping" to attract customers.

Recently, on the Chinese SNS Weibo, the hashtag "Bought Korean masks, please verify if genuine" briefly became a real-time trending hashtag.