This file photo shows the “ramyeon,” or instant noodles, section of a retail outlet in Seoul on July 29, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s exports of instant noodles reached an all-time high in the first 11 months of 2021 on their global popularity amid the coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday.
Asia’s fourth-largest economy exported US$607.9 million worth of instant noodles, or “ramyeon” in Korean, in the January-November period, up 10.6 percent from the same period of 2020, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service and industry sources.
Last year’s bumper record was attributed to the global popularity of Korean-made instant noodles as an emergency food in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that forced people to stay home.
Also responsible were strong overseas shipments of “chapaguri,” a signature noodle dish from the Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” according to the sources.
China was the largest overseas market for South Korean instant noodles in the 11-month period, with exports reaching $133.42 million.
The United States came next with $70.76 million, followed by Japan with $58.77 million, Taiwan with $29.18 million and the Philippines with $25.96 million.
(Yonhap)
