Visitors at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, in November last year try Korean cuisine at the food industry trade show Kosherfest 2021. (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)
By Kim Hayeon
Agricultural and fishery product exports exceeded USD 10 billion last year for the first time.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on Jan. 5 said the sector’s export volume hit USD 11.36 billion last year, up 15.1% from 2020.
Overseas shipments of agricultural and livestock food products reached USD 8.54 billion, up 12.9%, while those of fishery products jumped 22.4% to USD 2.82 billion.
Korean food, especially the traditional variety, showed remarkable growth abroad.
Kimchi and ginseng saw high export growth thanks to rising interest in healthier eating.
Kimchi exports jumped 10.7% last year to a record USD 159.9 million, and those of ginseng rose 16.3% to an all-time high USD 267.2 million.
Demand for kimchi was especially high in Japan, the U.S., the European Union and the U.K., and China, the U.S. and Vietnam were leading importers of ginseng.
On the back of Hallyu (Korean Wave), the export volume of processed Korean food such as ramyeon (instant noodles) and sauces soared as well.
Exports of ramyeon increased 11.8% to USD 674.6 million and those of sauces rose 14.7% to USD 365.7 million.
Strawberries and grapes, two fruits on the government list of “star” export items, also reached their export target of USD 103 million.
Exports of fishery products including leading items such as gim (laver) and tuna and other foods like eomuk (fish cake) and oyster also grew.
Late last year, laver exports reached USD 700 million in 114 countries. Since hitting USD 152 million in 2010, gim has seen overseas shipments rise for 11 consecutive years.
Thanks to the influence of the growing global influence of Hallyu, the export market for Korean laver has expanded to countries that have previously not imported it like Portugal, Cyprus and Bhutan.
hayeounk8@korea.kr
