In the prepared-foods section of a Russian supermarket sits a Korean dish that is unfamiliar to Koreans themselves: "morkov po-koreiski," meaning "carrots Korean-style." The side dish of thinly julienned carrots seasoned with vinegar and spices is said to have been created by ethnic Koreans who moved to Central Asia during the Soviet era, using carrots in place of kimchi ingredients. Long before terms such as K-pop or K-food existed, in other words, "Korean-style" was already on Russian tables.
Korea's image in Russia has shifted over the decades. In the 1990s, Korean products such as cars, televisions and mobile phones took hold and have been trusted for years since. Today, younger Russians encounter Korea through music and television dramas, and carry that interest into cosmetics, food and fashion.
That accumulated familiarity is also lending support to consumer goods exports. In June this year, the Russian business daily Kommersant ran a feature on the popularity of K-beauty under the headline "Russia washes its face the Korean way." Korea has held the largest share of Russia's cosmetics import market for several years, and is setting a record high this year. K-food is seeping into daily life as well: restaurant brands that reinterpret Korean cuisine locally, such as Chicko, have won a following, and instant ramen sections have appeared in large supermarkets.
Consumer goods are making notable gains in Korea's exports overall. Semiconductors and automobiles remain the anchor, but consumer goods, where small and medium-sized enterprises hold an edge, are expanding into overseas markets. Among those markets, Russia, with roughly 150 million consumers, matters greatly to Korean SMEs. Korea's total exports to Russia have fallen about 60% since 2022, yet exports by SMEs have held at a similar level — evidence of that importance.
The market environment in Russia has changed sharply in recent years, however. The clearest example is the change in competitors. Since 2022, Russian and Chinese companies have quickly filled the space left by global brands, forming a new competitive landscape. The Korean name may draw initial interest, but what determines repeat purchases is the strength of the product itself. In this changed Russian consumer market, the keyword to watch is diversification — of products, regions and distribution. As online marketplaces have grown, sales territory has expanded beyond big cities into Siberia and the Far East. As of the first half of 2026, e-commerce accounted for about 22% of Russia's retail market, lower than in Korea or China but higher than in the United States, Germany or Japan.
Alongside widening sales territory online, it is important to use distribution channels suited to each product's characteristics. For cosmetics, where brand power counts, that means specialist retailers such as Gold Apple; where ingredient explanations matter, pharmacies; and for food ingredients, the HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and cafe) segment. Product diversification is another task. The Korean wave is broadening across lifestyle as a whole, and even amid the economic slowdown, spending aimed at improving quality of life — health and self-care, for instance — is continuing. Korean firms need to seek out new areas where Korea's design and quality competitiveness can be brought to bear, such as fashion and pet care.
To sustain the goodwill toward Korea built up over many years, the base must be widened so that consumers can discover, experience and return to a broader range of Korean products. KOTRA will serve as a dependable pacemaker so that the Korean companies that opened up the Russian market amid crisis can go the distance as yet another "K."
