South Korea ranks second in wig patents — Korea Herald
South Korea ranked second in the world by the number of granted wig-related patents and shared second place with the United States in the total number of patent applications. This was reported by the Korea Herald, citing the country's Ministry of Intellectual Property.
Patent applications over 20 years
The agency analyzed patent applications filed with the world's five largest intellectual property offices in 2004–2023. Japan ranked first by the number of applications, with 1,374, or 36% of the total. South Korea and the United States shared second place: each country filed 756 applications, accounting for 20% each.
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Granted patents and companies
Japan also led in the number of granted patents, with 637, or 36% of the total. South Korea received 523 patents, accounting for 30%, and ranked second. The United States came third with 292 patents, or 17%.
Among individual applicants, South Korean wig manufacturer Hi-Mo ranked seventh in the world with 35 applications. The top three positions were held by Japanese companies Kaneka, Aderans and Denka, which filed 293, 284 and 164 applications respectively. The report notes that wigs are increasingly used not only to conceal hair loss but also as an element of self-expression.
