SEOUL, June 24 (Korea Bizwire) — While South Korean agricultural and fisheries exports to Thailand are experiencing a downturn due to the coronavirus outbreak, Korean hot pepper paste known as “gochujang” has managed to achieve growth in recent months.
The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. (aT) Thailand office reported that South Korean agricultural and fisheries exports to Thailand between January and May of this year reached US$152 million, shrinking by 16.1 percent from the same period last year ($181 million).
However, hot pepper paste exports, earning $325,000 between January and May last year, achieved came in at $690,000 over the same period this year, up by 111.8 percent.
Officials from aT Thailand explained that the high popularity of South Korean dramas in Thailand, topping all charts on Netflix with Thais spending more time at home due to the coronavirus, has proven effective in raising popularity of certain Korean food.
K-dramas led by “Itaewon Class” gained massive popularity, inspiring viewers to take an interest in Korean cuisine that appear on screen, such as sundubu (soft tofu soup).
The popularity of K-dramas has prompted Thai consumers to buy more Korean sauces, such as pepper and soybean paste, used to cook Korean food at home, aT explained.
Image Credit: Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. / Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
