Korea Intellectual Property Office says Korea ranks second in wig registrations

The Korea Intellectual Property Office said that South Korean applicants registered 523 wig-related patents at the world's five major intellectual-property offices from 2004 to 2023, ranking second.

Japan led the registration ranking with 637 cases; the United States placed third with 292. Korea and the United States shared second in applications at 756, behind Japan's 1,374. Haimo ranked seventh among wig-patent applicants after filing 35 applications between 2004 and 2023.

Production processes and equipment accounted for 1,073 applications, or 21% of the technical-category total, while fiber-modification technologies to improve naturalness and durability accounted for 1,022, or 20%. Technologies to improve the fit and comfort of wig bases drew 732 applications, followed by hairpiece technologies with 709. The office attributed active hairpiece patent filings to wigs' growing recognition as fashion products. Examples included modular wigs with removable hair pieces, lotus-stem fiber to maintain scalp health and smartphone-controlled LEDs that change hair color.

Research Nester projected the global wig market would expand from about 11 trillion won ($7.77 billion) in 2025 to about 23 trillion won ($16.3 billion) in 2035.

Yang Jae-seok, the office's patent examination planning director, said, "As Korea enters a super-aged society and hair loss affects younger people, wigs are rapidly emerging as fashion products that enhance individual expression and quality of life, beyond their role as simple accessories. Beyond K-beauty, we will continue to analyze and provide the industry with patent information needed for Korean wig companies to secure patent competitiveness and take the lead in the market."