Exports of instant noodles up 23.5 pct this year: data

BIZ 15:19 September 19, 2023

SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports of instant noodles jumped 23.5 percent on-year so far this year on the back of the growing popularity of Korean culture, data showed Tuesday.

The country exported US$657.3 million worth of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, from January through the second week of September, the largest figure for the cited period ever, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

During the first eight months of 2023, the ramyeon exports advanced 20.6 percent on-year to US$607.7 million, the ministry said.

Global sales of South Korean ramyeon products have risen from 2015 to hit an all-time high of $765.43 million in 2022. South Korea was the world's second-largest exporter of noodles last year following China, according to government data.

The growth was in line with the popularity of Korean movies, dramas and music, as well as high demand for ready-to-eat food products during the COVID-19 pandemic, ministry officials said.

On Tuesday, the ministry vowed to extend state support for food companies to boost the country's exports of ramyeon products during a meeting with officials of Samyang Roundsquare Co., a major ramyeon manufacturer.