SEOUL, South Korea’s agricultural exports moved up 7.6 percent over the first five months of 2024 from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday, on the back of the strong demand for instant noodles, snacks and beverage products.

Outbound shipments of agricultural goods came to US$3.96 billion in the January-May period, compared with $3.68 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The growth was mainly led by instant noodles, whose exports jumped 36.2 percent over the period to $486.2 million, on the back of robust demand from China, the United States and Southeast Asia.

Snacks followed, with an export volume of $291.6 million, up 12.6 percent on-year, as more products were supplied to major U.S. retailers, including Costco Wholesale.

The global demand for South Korean beverage products also gained ground, especially in the Asian market, with shipments rising 13.1 percent to $269.7 million.

Exports of kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish typically made
from fermented cabbage, went up 6.4 percent over the period to $70.7 million.

By destination, exports to the United States moved up 17.8 percent to hit $610 million, followed by China with $577 million, up 2.9 percent.

Exports to the Southeast Asian market also increased 5.7 percent to hit $791 million, the data showed. Those to the European market advanced 32.2 percent to $282 million.

Source: Yonhap News Agency