Ramen, Kimchi, and Other K-Food Exports Rebound... $6.31 Billion Exported by Mid-Month

As of the 16th of this month, agricultural and food exports have surpassed $6.3 billion, marking the first increase this year.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 25th that provisional agricultural and food exports for the second week of September (September 1?16) reached $6.31 billion, a 0.4% increase compared to last year.

Exports of K-Food Plus (+), including smart farms and agricultural machinery industries, also rose by 1.8% from last year to $8.46 billion.

An official from the Ministry explained, "Despite challenging external export conditions this year, such as the global economic slowdown and record-low yen, agricultural and food exports turned to an upward trend for the first time, supported by growth in processed foods like ramen and beverages, as well as fresh foods such as kimchi, strawberries, and pears."

Exports of agricultural and food products to China increased by 13.1% in July compared to the same period last year and by 11.3% from September 1 to 16, showing growth in most items due to the reopening effect. The United States and the European Union (EU) are also growing, centered on health foods, alongside a recovery in consumer sentiment. The ASEAN market, where the Korean Wave and K-Food have relatively strong influence, is also showing signs of recovery.

By item, processed foods such as ramen, beverages, and rice-processed products (including gimbap), as well as fresh agricultural products like kimchi, strawberries, and pears, are showing strong growth.

Ramen, benefiting from the popularity of Korean Wave content such as K-dramas, has seen increased demand for spicy ramen and stir-fried noodles. Following last year's record-high export value, this year’s exports have also grown by 23.5% compared to the same period last year, making it a key export item.

The Ministry plans to focus its efforts to maintain the upward trend in agricultural and food exports in the second half of the year. First, it will strengthen close management of companies by regularly identifying and resolving export difficulties through export company meetings and field visits, as well as supporting buyer discovery. Since quality management is crucial for fresh agricultural products, cold chain support will be enhanced in five overseas countries, and logistics costs will be additionally supported on a temporary basis until the end of this year. Furthermore, starting from November this year, large-scale promotions linked with export company marketing will be conducted at major retail stores in over 20 countries including the U.S., Japan, China, and ASEAN to maximize export promotion effects.

Kwon Jae-han, Director of Agricultural Innovation Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "The driving force behind the turnaround in agricultural and food exports despite difficult domestic and international conditions was the joint effort of the government and our companies to actively develop overseas markets and localize products. Based on the popularity and quality competitiveness of K-Food, we will segment export strategies according to market and item conditions and provide support, mobilizing all available resources to do our best to expand exports during the remaining period."

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