South Korea Exported More Kimchi than Ever in 2023
South Korea exported more kimchi than ever before in 2023, according to the country's Customs Service.
And producers may have some of South Korea's biggest stars from the world of music and film to thank for their good year.
That's right, South Korea's food ministry said that the increase in exports of this popular food, usually made from fermented cabbage, was caused by the popularity of K-content across the world.
K-content is the name given to movies, TV shows, music and other culture from South Korea.
Although cabbage is often used to make kimchi, other vegetables including celery, Chinese turnip and cucumber are also used.
The vegetables are sliced, seasoned and fermented, then stored in large jars.
In 2023, South Korea's kimchi exports increased by 7% from the previous year, and by 55% compared to 2018.
The value of those exports was $156 million in 2023 and the food was exported to 92 countries across the world.
Japan imported more than 20,000 metric tons of kimchi from South Korea, which was almost half of the total.
The US was the second biggest importer, with the Netherlands, Australia and the UK also among the top five importers.
But another of the big importers of kimchi may surprise you: it's South Korea.
Yes, the country actually imports large amounts of kimchi, mostly from China, because of the high cost of production in South Korea.
It is said that nine out of 10 South Koreans eat kimchi every day and the country has found it difficult to produce enough.
In fact, the money South Korea spent on imports of kimchi in 2023 was actually more than it made from its exports of the food.
