China-South Korea trade Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

"Is there any good jajangmyeon (a type of South Korean noodle)?" A user on a Chinese short-video platform left this comment under a video about South Korean ramen. Yet no answer followed as of press time. The unanswered comment points to a challenge for South Korean companies seeking to reach Chinese consumers: demand is growing, but some consumer needs remain unmet. Those needs can also become opportunities.

The search for new ways to reach Chinese consumers has already begun. According to The Herald Business, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency has included Chinese market in its "Expanding Export Markets" digital marketing support program, reflecting South Korea's broader push to diversify export markets.

Why China? South Korean official data showed that consumer goods exports to China rose 8.7 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year. The opportunity is becoming clearer. The bigger question is how South Korean companies can turn that opportunity into actual growth.

E-commerce offers a practical entry point into the Chinese market. Chinese official data showed that online retail sales of goods and services rose 4.8 percent year-on-year from January to July, faster than overall retail growth. Behind those numbers is a broader change: more consumption decisions are being made online, where brands can reach consumers more directly.

Food offers one example. Online sales of food products rose 16.9 percent during the same period. This trend aligns with categories where South Korean exports to China have shown strong growth. Exports of beverages, alcoholic drinks and wheat-based products recorded double-digit growth in the first 11 months of 2025. For these categories, digital platforms are becoming a gateway to Chinese consumers.

But entering China's e-commerce market may prove more complicated than simply putting products on online platforms. China's digital commerce ecosystem has developed rapidly. It is now a market where competition is intense and consumer expectations are constantly rising. For South Korean companies, understanding this ecosystem may be as important as accessing it.

Three trends deserve attention.

First, China's e-commerce market is no longer just about distribution. It is also about content. Livestreaming is a good example. China's livestream e-commerce market expanded more than 12-fold between 2019 and 2024, with gross merchandise value accounting for nearly one-third of online retail sales in 2025. For South Korean companies, online content offers a new way to introduce their products, share their stories and reach Chinese consumers.

Second, e-commerce is reaching beyond China's largest cities, connecting South Korean companies with Chinese consumers in areas that were once difficult to access through traditional distribution networks. Official figures show that online retail sales in rural areas increased 6.7 percent in 2025. For South Korean brands, the opportunity is not only in reaching more consumers, but also in understanding the needs of new markets and developing products that fit them.

Third, e-commerce is more than platforms. Behind it is a wider system of logistics, warehousing and supply-chain services. If Chinese e-commerce platforms are given more room to expand in South Korea, these efforts could also help connect the logistics and supply-chain systems that have developed alongside China's digital commerce with the South Korean market.

This process could help strengthen e-commerce links between China and South Korea, reduce logistics costs and create more efficient channels for products to move between the two markets. For South Korean brands, this could also make it easier to use e-commerce to reach Chinese consumers.

China's consumer market is changing, and so is the way foreign brands enter it. As global trade faces greater uncertainty, China is gaining greater attention from South Korean companies. Some have already begun exploring new opportunities through e-commerce.

For South Korean companies, the question behind China's e-commerce opportunity is simple: can they hear what consumers are asking for? The unanswered comment about jajangmyeon was only a small moment online. But it pointed to a larger opportunity. Sometimes, the next market opportunity begins with an overlooked need.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn