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More Than Half of Korean Sunscreens Are Now SPF 50+ and PA++++

In our earlier analysis of Korean sunscreens, we found that about 7 out of 10 carry SPF 50+. That covered UVB protection — the type that prevents sunburn.

This time we looked at the other half of the equation: UVA protection, measured by the PA rating system.

The result: in 2025, more than half of all Korean sunscreen products registered with the MFDS carry both SPF 50+ and PA++++. That is the highest possible rating in both categories.

What PA means

SPF measures protection against UVB rays — the ones that cause sunburn. PA measures protection against UVA rays — the ones that penetrate deeper into skin, cause photoaging, and contribute to skin cancer risk.

The PA system was developed in Japan and adopted by Korea. It uses plus signs to indicate protection level:

Rating UVA protection level
PA+ Some
PA++ Moderate
PA+++ High
PA++++ Extremely high

PA++++ was introduced in 2013 as the highest grade. Not every market uses this system — the EU uses a UVA seal, and the US has no standardized UVA rating at all.

PA distribution in Korean sunscreens

We analyzed sunscreen product registrations reported to Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). The database contains 189,692 functional cosmetic entries from 2008 to 2026.

PA ratings over time

Year PA+ PA++ PA+++ PA++++ PA++++ share
2016 29 989 2,179 32 1.0%
2017 6 491 1,020 400 20.6%
2023 8 967 726 1,604 48.0%
2024 23 969 862 1,866 49.7%
2025 10 927 871 2,211 54.4%

PA++++ went from 1% of sunscreens in 2016 to over 54% in 2025. PA++ has held steady at around 900–1,000 products per year, while PA+++ grew from 726 in 2023 to 871 in 2025. The largest shift is the rapid growth of PA++++ as the dominant category.

The dual maximum: SPF 50+ and PA++++

Combining SPF and PA data tells a clearer story:

Year Total sunscreens SPF 50+ & PA++++ %
2023 3,341 1,597 47.8%
2024 3,758 1,823 48.5%
2025 4,067 2,198 54.1%

In 2025, 54.1% of Korean sunscreens carry both SPF 50+ and PA++++. The gap between PA++++ count (2,211) and SPF 50+ & PA++++ count (2,198) is just 13 products — meaning almost every PA++++ sunscreen in Korea is also SPF 50+.

Korean brands are not choosing between UVB and UVA protection. They are maxing out both.

Made in Korea

The MFDS data also tracks whether each product is manufactured domestically or imported.

Year Domestic Imported Import share
2020 2,884 129 4.3%
2023 3,217 124 3.7%
2024 3,528 230 6.1%
2025 3,865 202 5.0%

95% of sunscreens registered with the MFDS are domestically manufactured. Imported sunscreens grew from 124 in 2023 to 230 in 2024 — an 86% jump in one year — but remain a small fraction of the market.

The total number of sunscreen products registered per year grew 35% between 2020 (3,013) and 2025 (4,067). Korea's sunscreen market is getting larger, and it is being driven almost entirely by domestic production.

What this data does not show

This is registration data, not sales data. A product being registered with the MFDS does not mean it sold well or at all. Some registered products may never reach store shelves. The data tells us what Korean sunscreen brands are making, not what consumers are buying.

The data also does not include ingredient-level detail. We know a product is SPF 50+ and PA++++, but not which UV filters were used to achieve those ratings. For UV filter regulatory data across 10 countries, see our sunscreen UV filter comparison.

Why Korean sunscreens cluster at the top

Korea's sunscreen market pushes toward maximum protection ratings for a few reasons.

Consumer expectations in Korea are high. "SPF 50+ PA++++" is the baseline that Korean consumers look for, not the premium tier. Products with lower ratings struggle to compete on shelves where every competitor offers maximum protection.

Korean UV filter regulations allow access to newer, more effective filters that enable high SPF and PA ratings in cosmetically elegant formulations — lightweight, non-greasy textures that consumers want to use daily. Some of these filters are not approved in markets like the US, which is one reason American sunscreens have historically lagged behind Korean and European products in UVA protection.

For a detailed look at which UV filters are approved where, see our 10-country comparison.

Methodology and Sources

Data was retrieved from the MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) functional cosmetics reporting database via data.go.kr (API ID: 15095680). The database contains 189,692 functional cosmetic product entries from 2008 to 2026.

Sunscreen products were identified by the presence of SPF values or the sunscreen effect flag. PA ratings are recorded as integer values: 0 = no PA rating measured, 1 = PA+, 2 = PA++, 3 = PA+++, 4 = PA++++. SPF 50+ was identified using the condition: spf IN ('50+','SPF50+','50') OR CAST(spf AS INTEGER) >= 50.

2026 data is partial (January through early May) and is not used for year-over-year comparisons.

Important Notice: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not legal, regulatory, or medical advice. Cosmetic regulations change frequently — always verify current status against official sources before making business or personal decisions. For full terms, see our Disclaimer.

Decoded Korea publishes data-driven analysis of Korean cosmetic ingredients, chemical regulations, and safety data.

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