South Korea's outbound shipments of agricultural products rose nearly 5 percent on-year in the first eight months of 2020. These increases are helped by the rising demand for instant products amid the current pandemic.
According to the data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, exports of agricultural goods, which include processed foodstuffs, reached US$4.8 billion in the January-August period. Shipments of processed foodstuffs increased 6.2 percent over the period to reach $3.98 billion, while those of fresh goods edged down 0.8 percent to $861 million, the data showed.
South Korea's outbound shipments of kimchi -the traditional Korean side dish made of fermented cabbage, salt and hot peppers- shot up 40.3 percent on-year in the January-August period to reach $98 million, apparently as the demand for nutritious products gained ground around the globe amid the pandemic.
The ministry said local exporters also attracted new consumers by releasing new products, such as vegan kimchi. Exports of kimchi to the United States jumped a whopping 70 percent, while those to Japan increased 30 percent over the period.