Kimchi exports to US reach record high of $27 million so far this year 

Exports of kimchi to the United States increased steadily to reach a record high of $26.7 million worth of the fermented dish between January and November this year when compared to the same period in previous years. 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced Monday that kimchi exports rose 1.7% on-year from January to end-November last year. By volume,  kimchi exports surged 9.2% from the previous year to 7,991 tons. 

When looking at exports for the entire year including December, South Korea’s exports of its staple side dish continued to increase from $9 million in 2018 to $14.8 million the following year. In 2020, the figure almost doubled to $23 million and rose further to $28.2 million last year. 

The food ministry attributed the continued interest in kimchi’s health benefits and the rising popularity of Korean food to the spike in demand from North America. 

Earlier this year, Washington, D.C. joined the three US states of California, Virginia, and New York to designate Nov. 22 as Kimchi Day.

The food ministry is poised to execute several promotional campaigns in the US this week to further bolster kimchi exports. 

On Tuesday, there will be a promotional event on the Capitol, hosted in tandem with kimchi manufacturers that export the dish outside the peninsula. 

On Wednesday, there will be a panel discussion and presentation on Korean fermented dishes at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, D.C. 

Write to Jung-hwan Hwang at jung@hankyung.com
Jee Abbey Lee edited this article.