SEOUL: South Korea’s exports of agricultural products and food sharply rose in January, aided by a jump in shipments to Japan, China and other Asian countries, the government said Thursday. South Korea exported US$557 million worth of agricultural products and food in January, up 13.7 percent from $490 million tallied a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The figures are the highest for any January, the ministry said.
Outbound shipments of fresh foods jumped 32.4 percent to $115 million and exports of processed foods advanced 9.7 percent to $442 million as sales of South Korean-made instant noodles, or ramyeon, jumped 31 percent to $34 million. Shipments to Japan, South Korea’s biggest food export market, gained 13.4 percent to $109 million.