SOUGHT-AFTER. Packaged kimchi products are displayed at a supermarket in Seoul, Sourth Korea in this 2023 file photo. The popularity of Korean entertainment content resulted in a record-high export of 44,041 tons of the side dish last year. (Yonhap)
SEOUL – South Korea's exports of kimchi set a new record in 2023 amid the rising popularity of Korean entertainment content around the globe, data showed Sunday.
Outbound shipments of kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish typically made from fermented cabbage, shot up 7.1 percent to 44,041 tons, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service.
The latest figure hovers above the previous record set in 2021, when the export volume reached 42,544 tons.
In terms of value, exports came to $155.6 million in 2023, up 10.5 percent on-year.
"Kimchi exports experienced a significant surge last year, primarily attributed to the increased popularity of K-content," an agricultural ministry official said.
Japan was the top destination for kimchi exports last year, accounting for 20,173 tons, followed by the United States with 10,660 tons and the Netherlands with 1,756 tons, the data showed.
South Korea's imports of kimchi, meanwhile, came to $163.5 million in 2023, down 3.4 percent on-year to report a trade deficit of $7.95 million.
The country imports kimchi, mostly from China, due to high production costs in the domestic market. (Yonhap)
