Korean Instant Noodles Becoming Increasingly Popular

The Korea Customs Service announced on March 30 that exports of instant noodles hit an all-time high of US$862 million last year, up 12 percent from a year earlier.

The exports have broken the previous record every year since 2014. The exports were US$147 million in January and February this year, up 19 percent year on year.

Last year, ramyun exports increased 13.5 percent year on year and reached a new high of US$765 million. The exports totaled US$132 million in the first two months of this year.

Last year, South Korea exported instant noodles to 143 countries in total, including China (US$191 million), the United States (US$120 million), and Japan (US$68 million).