Ramen and Kimchi Drive Agricultural Food Exports... Up 36.3% and 38.5% Year-on-Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 2nd that the export value of ramen and kimchi, representative companion foods enjoyed by Koreans, increased by 36.3% and 38.5% respectively as of September 2020 compared to the same period last year, leading the growth trend in agricultural food exports.

Ramen exports reached $456 million cumulatively as of September 2020, more than doubling from $219 million in 2015 over five years, and are expected to achieve the highest export performance ever this year.

The increase in ramen exports is mainly due to the continued popularity of spicy fried noodles and other spicy ramen centered in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, along with the rise in awareness of Korean ramen following the Academy Awards and Oscars wins of the movie "Parasite" this year and the spread of the Korean Wave. Additionally, the increase in consumption of emergency food with long shelf life and convenient home meals after the COVID-19 pandemic are key factors.

Ramen companies have recently been introducing various new products locally, such as Jjajang ramen and mac and cheese ramen, in line with the trend of changing perception of ramen from a "snack" to a "simple meal" and diversifying demand. They have also launched low-sodium ramen and dried noodles to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers.

Exports of kimchi, a companion food that pairs well with ramen, also reached $109 million cumulatively as of September 2020, surpassing the export value of $106 million in 2012, setting a new record for the highest export performance in the third quarter of this year.

In particular, with the increase in home-cooked meals due to COVID-19 and the global attention on fermented foods that help boost immunity, exports are accelerating.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is supporting the acquisition of halal certification to expand market entry of ramen products into Southeast Asia markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as the Middle East. It is promoting ramen and kimchi exports through Korean Wave and influencer-linked social network service (SNS) promotions, and sales promotions at local large retail stores and online malls.

Park Byung-hong, Director of the Food Industry Policy Office at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "Promoting foods that are enjoyed together, such as ramen and kimchi, overseas can also contribute to the spread of the Korean Wave. Along with efforts to expand exports of fresh agricultural products such as grapes and ginseng by the end of the year, we will also focus on promoting exports of promising foods like ramen and Korean food culture."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.