# Why Sellers Outnumber Manufacturers

> Responsible sellers (화장품책임판매업) outnumber manufacturers (화장품제조업) because 86.8% of the 28,277 business registration numbers with a responsible seller registration, or 24,556, registered as responsible sellers only, without a manufacturing registration.

Article 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Cosmetics Act (화장품법 시행령) classifies the distribution and sale of cosmetics made on commission by a manufacturer, or of imported cosmetics, as the responsible seller business. Korea Cosmetics Safety Information Group shows how the two businesses differ through dual registration figures and regional distribution.

- Written by: Korea Cosmetics Safety Information Group Editorial Team
- Published: Oct 4, 2026
- As of: October 4, 2026
- Canonical URL: https://en.safecosmetic.org/articles/why-sellers-outnumber-manufacturers

## How many more responsible sellers are there vs manufacturers?

6.8 times as many. The responsible seller business holds 28,358 registrations, the cosmetics manufacturing business holds 4,157 registrations, and the difference is 24,201 registrations.

Grouping by business registration number gives a similar result. Responsible sellers account for 28,277 business registration numbers and manufacturers for 4,147 business registration numbers, or 6.8 times.

**Registrations and business registration numbers of responsible sellers and manufacturers** (As of October 4, 2026; units: registrations, business registration numbers)

| Business | Registrations | Business registration numbers | Numbers registered for that business only |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Responsible sellers | 28,358 | 28,277 | 24,556 |
| Manufacturers | 4,157 | 4,147 | 426 |

Business registration numbers are the values after grouping by that number. A number registered for both businesses is included once on each side.

## What kinds of business do responsible sellers run, as distinct from manufacturers?

Four kinds. Distributing cosmetics manufactured directly, distributing cosmetics manufactured on commission, distributing imported cosmetics, and brokering or supplying cosmetics for import-agency transactions are all the responsible seller business.

**Detailed scope of the responsible seller business and who makes the cosmetics** (Enforcement Decree of the Cosmetics Act Article 2(2))

| Provision | Detailed scope | Who makes the cosmetics |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| Item (a) | Business in which a cosmetics manufacturer directly manufactures cosmetics and distributes and sells them | The cosmetics manufacturer running the responsible seller business itself |
| Item (b) | Business of distributing and selling cosmetics manufactured on commission by a cosmetics manufacturer | The cosmetics manufacturer that took the commission |
| Item (c) | Business of distributing and selling imported cosmetics | The provision says only "imported cosmetics" |
| Item (d) | Business of brokering or supplying cosmetics for the purpose of import-agency transactions (e-commerce only) | Not stated in the provision |

Of the four, item (a) is the only type in which the responsible seller manufactures directly. Under the text of the provision, items (b), (c) and (d) are businesses in which the responsible seller does not make the cosmetics.

## Can responsible sellers register without a factory, unlike manufacturers?

What Article 3 of the Cosmetics Act (화장품법) requires for responsible seller registration is standards for quality control and post-sale safety management, and a responsible sales manager (책임판매관리자). Facility standards are written only as a registration requirement for the manufacturing business.

**What registration requires for the responsible seller and manufacturing businesses** (Cosmetics Act Article 3; Enforcement Rule Articles 3, 4 and 6)

| Item | Responsible sellers | Manufacturers |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| What the Act requires | Standards for quality control and post-sale safety management, and a responsible sales manager (Act Article 3(3)) | Facility standards set by Ordinance of the Prime Minister (Act Article 3(2)) |
| Documents attached to the application | Rules on management standards and documents confirming the qualifications of the responsible sales manager (Enforcement Rule Article 4(2)) | Medical certificate from a physician or specialist and a statement of facilities (Enforcement Rule Article 3(2)) |
| Facilities | Act Article 3(3) has no facility requirement | Workplace, storage area, laboratory, and the facilities and equipment needed for quality testing (Enforcement Rule Article 6(1)) |
| Where to apply | Head of the regional Office of Food and Drug Safety with jurisdiction over the location of the responsible seller establishment | Head of the regional Office of Food and Drug Safety with jurisdiction over the location of the manufacturing site |

The registry list itself does not say why responsible sellers outnumber manufacturers. Reading the higher count as the result of a business that can register without a workplace or laboratory is an estimate that joins the articles to the figures.

## How many responsible sellers are also manufacturers?

3,721 business registration numbers. That is 13.2% of the 28,277 business registration numbers with a responsible seller registration, and the remaining 24,556 registered as responsible sellers only.

Counting from the manufacturing side reverses the share. Of the 4,147 business registration numbers with a manufacturing registration, 89.7% also registered as a responsible seller, and 426 business registration numbers registered for manufacturing only.

**Dual registration of responsible sellers and manufacturers by business registration number** (As of October 4, 2026; units: business registration numbers, %)

| Group | Business registration numbers | Share of responsible seller numbers | Share of manufacturer numbers |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Responsible seller only | 24,556 | 86.8% | - |
| Both responsible seller and manufacturer | 3,721 | 13.2% | 89.7% |
| Manufacturer only | 426 | - | 10.3% |

The requirements and duties of the two businesses are set out article by article in [Manufacturer vs Responsible Seller](https://en.safecosmetic.org/articles/manufacturer-vs-responsible-seller).

## How are responsible sellers and manufacturers split across Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Incheon?

Seoul has 10,405 registrations of responsible sellers, 36.7% of the total, but 439 registrations of manufacturers, 10.6%. Gyeonggi-do and Incheon have a higher manufacturing share.

**Responsible seller and manufacturer registrations in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Incheon** (As of October 4, 2026; units: registrations, %, times)

| Province or metropolitan city | Responsible sellers | Share of all responsible sellers | Manufacturers | Share of all manufacturers | Responsible sellers ÷ manufacturers |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Seoul | 10,405 | 36.7% | 439 | 10.6% | 23.7 |
| Gyeonggi-do | 9,353 | 33.0% | 1,658 | 39.9% | 5.6 |
| Incheon | 1,900 | 6.7% | 457 | 11.0% | 4.2 |

Gyeonggi-do and Incheon together hold 2,115 registrations of manufacturers, 50.9% of all manufacturers. The same two areas hold 11,253 registrations of responsible sellers, 39.7%. The registry list states no reason why the shares differ by region, so Korea Cosmetics Safety Information Group gives the figures only.

Counts for every province and metropolitan city are in [Responsible Sellers by Region](https://en.safecosmetic.org/statistics/cosmetics-sellers-by-region) and [Cosmetics Manufacturers by Region](https://en.safecosmetic.org/statistics/cosmetics-manufacturers-by-region).

## Where do responsible sellers most outnumber manufacturers?

Seoul. Dividing its 10,405 registrations of responsible sellers by its 439 registrations of manufacturers gives 23.7 times, against 6.8 times nationwide.

**Responsible seller registrations divided by manufacturer registrations, by province or metropolitan city** (As of October 4, 2026; units: registrations, times)

| Province or metropolitan city | Responsible sellers | Manufacturers | Ratio |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Seoul | 10,405 | 439 | 23.7 |
| Busan | 991 | 145 | 6.8 |
| Daejeon | 559 | 99 | 5.6 |
| Gyeonggi-do | 9,353 | 1,658 | 5.6 |
| Daegu | 651 | 118 | 5.5 |
| Sejong | 137 | 27 | 5.1 |
| Ulsan | 176 | 37 | 4.8 |
| Jeju | 315 | 73 | 4.3 |
| Incheon | 1,900 | 457 | 4.2 |
| Jeonbuk State | 413 | 102 | 4.0 |
| Gyeongsangnam-do | 587 | 150 | 3.9 |
| Gangwon State | 488 | 130 | 3.8 |
| Chungcheongnam-do | 598 | 167 | 3.6 |
| Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City | 614 | 175 | 3.5 |
| Gyeongsangbuk-do | 525 | 155 | 3.4 |
| Chungcheongbuk-do | 646 | 225 | 2.9 |
| Nationwide | 28,358 | 4,157 | 6.8 |

The lowest ratio is in Chungcheongbuk-do, at 2.9 times. Among cities, counties and districts, Gangnam-gu, Seoul has the most responsible sellers with 2,681 registrations, and the same area has 36 registrations of manufacturers.

## Do responsible sellers register more often than manufacturers every year?

Splitting the current list by registration year, from 2021 through 2025 responsible sellers are the larger group every year. Entries registered in 2025 number 4,035 registrations of responsible sellers and 357 registrations of manufacturers.

**Responsible seller and manufacturer entries by registration year** (As of October 4, 2026, 2021 to 2025; units: registrations, times)

| Registration year | Responsible sellers | Manufacturers | Ratio |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 2021 | 1,855 | 324 | 5.7 |
| 2022 | 2,566 | 275 | 9.3 |
| 2023 | 3,243 | 316 | 10.3 |
| 2024 | 3,502 | 320 | 10.9 |
| 2025 | 4,035 | 357 | 11.3 |

These are businesses registered in that year and still on the list today. Businesses that closed are not included.

How many registrations were actually made in a given year cannot be told from the table. The distribution by business type and year is in [Cosmetics Registrations by Year](https://en.safecosmetic.org/statistics/cosmetics-registrations-by-year).

## How can I tell whether my business is a responsible seller or a manufacturer?

Ask in turn whether you distribute and sell cosmetics under your own name and who made those cosmetics. The test is the four types in Article 2(2) of the Enforcement Decree of the Cosmetics Act.

- If you registered the cosmetics manufacturing business and distribute and sell cosmetics you made directly, that is item (a).
- If you commission a cosmetics manufacturer to manufacture and distribute and sell those cosmetics, that is item (b).
- If you distribute and sell imported cosmetics, that is item (c).
- If you broker or transfer cosmetics to conduct import-agency transactions through e-commerce, that is item (d).
- If you only make cosmetics on commission from another company, that falls within the scope of the cosmetics manufacturing business, not the responsible seller business (Enforcement Decree Article 2(1)(b)).

The register is to record the responsible selling type (Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act (화장품법 시행규칙) Article 4(4)(6)). Changing or adding a type is subject to a change of registration (Enforcement Rule Article 5(1)(2)(e)).

## What can counts of responsible sellers and manufacturers not tell you?

They cannot tell you counts by responsible selling type, the number of brands or product items, sales or production volume. The registry list holds only the business type, company name, registration date, and the city, county or district of the location.

- The list cannot sort the 24,556 registered as responsible sellers only into contract manufacturing distribution, import distribution or import-agency transactions.
- There is no basis for saying that a region with many responsible seller registrations sells or makes more cosmetics.
- Registrations and business registration numbers are different counts. Responsible sellers hold 28,358 registrations and 28,277 business registration numbers.
- Registration tells you only that the business requirements were met. Korea Cosmetics Safety Information Group does not rate a business type or region for having a high count.

## Frequently asked questions

### What kind of business registers for manufacturing only?

There are 426 business registration numbers of them. Article 2(1) of the Enforcement Decree includes the business of manufacturing on commission and the business of doing only primary packaging, so they can be seen as manufacturers that do not distribute under their own name. The registry list has no business format field, so this part is an estimate.

### Why do responsible seller registrations and business registration numbers differ?

There are 28,358 registrations, and grouping by business registration number gives 28,277 business registration numbers. Cases in which one business registration number holds two or more responsible seller registrations account for an overlap of 81 registrations.

### How do import-agency transactions differ from ordinary import distribution?

Article 2(2) of the Enforcement Decree lists separately the business of distributing and selling imported cosmetics (item (c)) and the business of brokering or supplying cosmetics for the purpose of import-agency transactions (item (d)). Item (d) covers only e-commerce under the Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce.

### If a company has its head office in Seoul and its factory in Gyeonggi-do, which region is it counted in?

The manufacturing business files its registration application with the head of the regional Office of Food and Drug Safety with jurisdiction over the location of the manufacturing site, and the responsible seller business with the head of the office with jurisdiction over the location of the responsible seller establishment (Enforcement Rule Articles 3(2) and 4(2)). The dataset description does not state which address the location in the registry list is.

### Is there a duty only for responsible sellers that distribute imported cosmetics?

Yes. For imported cosmetics, they must prepare and keep import control records showing the product name, country of manufacture, manufacturer name and location, the first import date, the import date and import quantity by batch number, and so on (Enforcement Rule Article 12(4)).

## Sources

- [Ministry of Food and Drug Safety: Cosmetics Information dataset](https://www.data.go.kr/data/15020628/openapi.do) - Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), Public Data Portal open API · page in Korean · retrieved oct 4, 2026
- [Enforcement Decree of the Cosmetics Act](https://www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%ED%99%94%EC%9E%A5%ED%92%88%EB%B2%95%20%EC%8B%9C%ED%96%89%EB%A0%B9) - Ministry of Government Legislation, National Law Information Center · in force April 2, 2026 · page in Korean
- [Cosmetics Act](https://www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%ED%99%94%EC%9E%A5%ED%92%88%EB%B2%95) - Ministry of Government Legislation, National Law Information Center · in force April 2, 2026 · page in Korean
- [Enforcement Rule of the Cosmetics Act](https://www.law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%ED%99%94%EC%9E%A5%ED%92%88%EB%B2%95%20%EC%8B%9C%ED%96%89%EA%B7%9C%EC%B9%99) - Ministry of Government Legislation, National Law Information Center · in force April 2, 2026 · page in Korean