The popularity of Korean instant noodles, snacks, beverages, and processed rice products has led to a record-breaking $7.3 billion in agro-food exports in the first nine months of this year, capturing the taste buds of consumers worldwide.

According to South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, agro-food exports reached $7.3075 billion as of September, an 8.3% increase compared to the same period last year. Despite fewer business days in September due to the early Chuseok holiday, agro-food exports still achieved a record high by the end of the month.

This growth is largely attributed to the “Korean Wave,” with surging global demand for Korean foods such as instant noodles and kimchi, particularly in the United States. Additionally, the diversity of Korean export items has expanded beyond traditional foods like noodles and snacks to frozen processed foods, further boosting export numbers.

Korean food is valued not only for its taste but also for its health benefits, which has further driven demand. Kimchi, recognized in countries like the U.S. as an immune-boosting health food, has enjoyed heightened popularity due to the “COVID-19 effect.” Among top export items, instant noodles, snacks, beverages, and processed rice products all set new records. Frozen gimbap and pre-packaged rice meals have gained popularity as health-conscious, convenient meals, with distribution through major retailers like Costco facilitating continued export growth. Notably, instant noodles are the most widely exported item in Korean food.

As of the third quarter, instant noodle exports totaled $903.8 million, a 29.6% increase from last year, approaching the 2022 full-year total of $952.4 million.

The fastest-growing export market for instant noodles is Latin America, particularly Mexico, where exports surged by 122.6% over the same period last year. The U.S. market also showed strong growth, with instant noodle exports rising over 50%, leading major producer Nongshim to plan the construction of a new export-exclusive factory in Korea’s Noksan Industrial Complex in Busan. Set for completion by 2026, this facility will produce 500 million units per year, doubling Nongshim’s annual export capacity to 1 billion units and increasing its global supply capacity to 2.7 billion units.

This new plant will be a launching pad for more aggressive global expansion, according to Nongshim.

This year, snack exports rose 15.5% to $560.7 million, while beverage exports increased 13.6% to $505.7 million. Exports of processed rice products, including frozen gimbap, instant rice, and tteokbokki, reached $217.9 million, up 41.6% from the previous year, surpassing the total 2022 export value of $217.2 million.

A Ministry official noted that processed rice products experienced significant growth in their largest market, the U.S., with more distribution through major retailers and global online platforms in China, further fueling future export expectations.

However, fresh produce exports, including pears and grapes, slightly declined by 0.6% to $1.0934 billion due to supply shortages in the first half of the year.

By region, U.S. agro-food exports grew 20.8% to $1.1609 billion, while exports to China increased by 5.2% to $1.0896 billion. Exports to Europe saw a substantial 27.4% rise, reaching $506.1 million.

The Ministry is collaborating across government departments to further expand agro-food and related industry exports. It is also actively supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises to enter overseas markets through large company distribution networks.

<Hwandong Cho>