"Sold 240 Million Units Thanks to Heatwave and Korean Wave"... Ice Cream Exports Reach Record High in First Half of the Year

Ice Cream Exports in First Half of Year
Up 19.8% to $59 Million
"Impact of Heatwave and K-Content Popularity"

As record-breaking heatwaves continue around the world, South Korea's ice cream export value in the first half of this year has achieved an all-time high. The heatwave and the Korean Wave are analyzed as the key factors behind the popularity of 'K-Ice Cream.'

Foreigners holding Melona bars

On the 28th, the Korea Customs Service announced that the ice cream export value in the first half of 2023 recorded an all-time high of 59 million USD, a 19.8% increase compared to the same period last year. This corresponds to approximately 75.6 billion KRW, surpassing last year's first half record export value of 50 million USD within just one year.

In terms of export volume, ice cream exports in the first half of this year reached 18,000 tons, a 15.6% increase compared to the same period last year. Based on 75g per ice cream, this means about 240 million units were sold.

The Korea Customs Service explained, "With unprecedented heatwaves continuing worldwide and the popularity of Korean culture such as K-pop and K-dramas, interest and demand for South Korean ice cream appear to be increasing."

Exported to 49 Countries... Largest Markets: United States, China, Philippines

The countries that purchase the most South Korean ice cream are the United States (31.6%), China (12.2%), and the Philippines (10.3%), in that order. Thanks to steadily expanding export markets even during the COVID-19 period, exports were made to a record 54 countries last year and to a half-year record 49 countries in the first half of this year.

According to the International Trade Centre (ITC) Trade Map on the 28th, the best-selling product in the United States is Binggrae's Melona. Melona is known to have sold more than 250 million units in the U.S. alone from 2009 to 2021.

Melona is also popular in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Canada, and other countries. In Vietnam, Binggrae's Bungeoppang Samanco has attracted attention as a premium product, ranking high in sales of frozen desserts at local convenience stores.

During the same period, ice cream imports amounted to 30 million USD, increasing by about 7.5% compared to the previous year, but exports led trade, resulting in a trade surplus of 29 million USD. This surpassed the previous record trade surplus of 22 million USD in the second half of last year within just half a year.

Meanwhile, from July 1 to 23, the global average surface temperature was recorded at 16.95 degrees Celsius. This significantly exceeds the previous monthly global average surface temperature record of 16.63 degrees Celsius (July 2019). The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicted on the 27th (local time) that July this year will be the hottest month on record.

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