This Year, 'Kimchi Jongjukguk' Pride Maintained... Surplus Expected for the First Time in 12 Years

Trade Balance Recorded at 27.27 Million USD Until October

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] This year, kimchi trade is expected to record a surplus for the first time in 12 years. Although the volume of imported Chinese kimchi has consistently exceeded export volume, resulting in a deficit, this year shows a contrasting trend.

According to the Korea Customs Service on the 22nd, kimchi export value from January to October this year was $136.11 million, similar to the same period last year ($136.12 million). Meanwhile, kimchi import value decreased by 8.6% to $108.84 million. If this trend continues until the end of the year, it will mark the first kimchi trade surplus since 2009. The trade balance recorded a surplus of $27.27 million. If this trend continues through December, it is expected to be the first kimchi trade surplus since 2009.

Kimchi trade recorded a surplus of $23.05 million in 2009 but posted deficits every year thereafter. The reason Korea, the birthplace of kimchi, recorded trade deficits was due to the large volume of inexpensive Chinese kimchi imports. Over 99% of the kimchi imported by Korea is actually Chinese-made. Last year, Korea’s kimchi import value was $152.43 million, the highest ever. However, in March, a video showing naked people salting napa cabbage in China was released, sparking a hygiene controversy over Chinese kimchi. Since March, kimchi import value has decreased month by month compared to the previous year.

The Korean Wave (Hallyu) also played a role. With the 'K-Food' craze, interest in kimchi has increased. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the perception overseas that kimchi is a health food that boosts immunity is also analyzed to have positively influenced exports.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held a commemorative ceremony under the slogan “The Power of Koreans, the Taste of the World” at the main auditorium of the Seoul Nonghyup Central Association building to celebrate the “2nd Kimchi Day.”

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