K-culture craze has led to Korean ramen exports hitting 1 trillion KRW (US$776.57 million)

South Korea’s instant noodles, also known as ramen or ramyeon, are riding a massive wave of popularity, and this year it has smashed through the 1 trillion KRW (776.57 million USD) ceiling in exports.
The Korea Customs Service revealed on Monday, 20 November 2023, that from January to October this year, the export of these flavorful quick meals reached an impressive $785.25 million.
This signifies a spicy 24.7% leap compared to the same timeframe in 2022.
The total for this year is already higher than last year’s entire ramen export value of $765.41 million, making it a record-breaking year for Korean ramen.
Industry insiders predict that the combined sales of both exports and local production may very well surpass the 2 trillion KRW mark.
This forecast takes into account that many Korean companies are now manufacturing ramen in their international plants to better cater to regional tastes.

In terms of countries slurping up the most Korean ramen, China is leading the charge with import figures of $174.45 million in the January to October period.
The United States is following closely with $107 million, then Japan ($48.66 million), the Netherlands ($48.64 million), Malaysia ($39.67 million), and the Philippines ($30.9 million).
The global love affair with Korean ramen, it seems, has just officially started.
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