Exports of South Korean-made instant noodles, or ramyeon, surpassed the US$300 million mark for the first time ever on the back of strong popularity in China, the United States and Southeast Asian nations, trade data showed Tuesday. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Exports of South Korean-made instant noodles, or ramyeon, surpassed the US$300 million mark for the first time ever on the back of strong popularity in China, the United States and Southeast Asian nations, trade data showed Tuesday.
Shipments of ramyeon reached $346.43 million in the first 11 months of this year, up a sharp 31.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the numbers compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The latest figure already surpassed last year’s annual overseas sales of $290 million.
China was the biggest importer of the Korean noodles, accounting for a quarter of total exports, followed by the United States with 12.3 percent and Japan with 6.6 percent, the ministry said.
Sales of ramyeon in Southeast Asian nations also increased this year as the popularity of K-pop boosted demand for Korean food among young people, it noted.
(Yonhap)
