Exports of ramyeon (instant noodles) last month eclipsed USD 70 million in value for the first time. Shown are aisles of ramyeon packages at a branch of Hanaro Mart in Seoul's Seocho-gu District.

By Lee Jihae

Exports of ramyeon (instant noodles) last month eclipsed USD 70 million for the first time.

According to the Korea Customs Service and the food industry on April 25, such shipments in March reached USD 71.58 million (KRW 89 billion), up 20% from the same month last year and 35.8% more than in February.

This is the first time for ramyeon exports to break USD 70 million in a month.

The previous record was USD 66.66 million set in December last year.

Ramyeon exports last month also reached 20,119 tons in weight, breaking 20,000 for the first time.

Such shipments last month accounted for 64.3 times their import value (USD 1.11 million) and 132.4 times the weight of their imports (152 tons).

The top market for Korean ramyeon was China with USD 19.08 million, followed by the U.S. (USD 9.75 million), Japan (USD 5.71 million), Thailand (USD 2.9 million), Canada (USD 2.89 million), the Philippines (USD 2.57 million), Malaysia (USD 2.53 million), Hong Kong (USD 2.26 million) and the Netherlands (USD 2.2 million).

The worldwide boom in Hallyu (Korean Wave) is considered to have fueled the rise of such exports. The film "Parasite," which won four Academy Awards in 2020, has a scene featuring the making of the dish "Jjapaguri," a combination of Chapagetti and Neoguri, two ramyeon products by Korean food manufacturer Nongshim, that boosted global interest in Korean instant noodles.

jihlee08@korea.kr