The Boots brand is to enter South Korea.

Global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise Walgreens Boots Alliance has signed a franchise deal with South Korean retailer Emart, paving the way for the American holding company to expand its BootBooos UK pharmacy chain into Korea.

As part of the deal, Boots-branded stores will open in South Korean shopping malls, department stores, town centres and in a few of Emart’s own hypermarkets.

While its first store is expected to open next year, the stores will all run as an independent pharmacy chain.

Apart from selling over-the-counter medicine, the stores will also offer a range of cosmetics brands.