Based on R&D data submitted by the 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in South Korea, in 2015, the average rate of pharmaceutical R&D expenditure was 10.46% of their revenues. Revenues for the 10 companies was KRW 7.5 trillion ($6 billion), with total R&D expenditure of KRW 774 billion ($672 million). Of the 10 companies, seven invested 10% or more of sales into R&D. Domestically, 12 pharmaceutical firms’ yearly R&D expenditures surpassed KRW 10 billion ($9 million), including LG Life Science (KRW 38.4 billion), Yuhan (KRW 30.4 billion) and Donga ST (KRW 26.9 billion). LG Life Science’s R&D expenditure was the highest of all companies as a percentage of sales revenue at 17.3% (KRW 77.7 billion). Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical invested 15.4% (KRW 91.4 billion), into R&D, and Hanmi Pharm, which had the top sales revenue (KRW 1 trillion) among South Korean pharmaceutical firms, invested 14.2% into R&D.

Source: Business Korea