Korea's kimchi exports record high in the year of pandemic

South Korea’s staple side dish kimchi was exported in record volume last year on global recognition of healthy gain from the fermented food in a year of pandemic.

According to a study published by the Korea International Trade Association’s research institute on Wednesday, the country exported 32,833 tons of kimchi worth $119.09 billion from January to October 2020. The export volume is up 42.1 percent on year and value 36.4 percent. Both figures are all-time highs.

Japan was the largest kimchi importer, taking up 49.9 percent of total exports. Korea’s kimchi export to Japan amounted to $59.5 million in the Jan-Oct period last year, up 28 percent on year. The second largest was the United States with $18.7 million, followed by Hong Kong with $6.3 million.

Kimchi exports to both the U.S. and Hong Kong jumped by more than 50 percent from a year earlier, while demand from Australia and Singapore rose steeper 64.7 percent and 85.4 percent, respectively.

The research institute attributed the rapid growth in kimchi exports to people’s growing interest for healthy diet from Covid-19 crisis on top of K-pop’s international popularity.

Kimchi is a fermented food serving as an excellent probiotic like yogurt and thus helping to consume the so-called good bacteria, according to nutrition experts.

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