South Korea's exports of farm and fisheries products had marked a slight on-year growth this year as of mid-September on the solid global demand for instant noodles and other food items in line with the popularity of Korean culture, the agriculture ministry said Monday.
Outbound shipments of agricultural and fisheries goods came to US$6.31 billion from January through the second week of September, up 0.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Global sales of those products logged an on-year fall during the first eight months of 2023, as last year's tally hit an all-time high, but made a rebound this month.
By item, sales of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, jumped 23.5 percent on-year to $657 million, and those of beverages rose 9 percent to $422 million.
Rice-based food items, such as gimbap, or seaweed rice rolls with vegetables, enjoyed a 16.2 percent sales growth to $145 million, and exports of Kimchi rose 9.9 percent to $113 million.
Exports of strawberries and pears also jumped 26.9 percent and 18.1 percent, respectively, the data showed.
"Korean food items are becoming famous on the back of the popularity of Korean movies, dramas and music. More people have also turned to ready-to-eat food products after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic," a ministry official said.
By destination, exports to China grew 11.3 percent on-year to $977 million, and those to the United States rose 3.8 percent to $910 million. Sales in the European Union and Britain increased 1.2 percent, according to the ministry.
The government vowed to extend support for exporters in advancing into new markets and better ensuring the quality of fresh food items.
Source: Yonhap News Agency