Exports of South Korea beverage products jumped to a record US$572 million last year helped by the popularity of Korean culture, government data showed Monday.

The country’s beverage exports jumped 11.5 percent in 2023 from $513 million a year earlier, according to data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries AND Food Corp.

By country, beverage shipments to China accounted for 21 percent, or $121 million last year, followed by shipments to the United States with $83 million, Cambodia with $54 million and Vietnam with $53 million, the data said.

Beverage exports are expected to set a new record in 2024 given the shipments from January to February, worth $94 million, are 28 percent higher than the same period of last year.

Local beverage firms, including Woongjin, Paldo Co. and Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., said they will put a bigger focus on exporting their products for growth.

Source: Yonhap News Agency