Last year, South Korea's exports of instant noodles hit a record high of more than $800 million

Sejong, March 30 (Yonhap) -- Exports of instant noodles, such as instant noodles and udon, reached a record high of $862 million last year, up 12 percent from a year earlier, according to a report released by the Korea Customs Service on Thursday.

Exports of instant noodles have hit record highs every year since 2014. Exports rose 19% from a year earlier to $147 million in the first two months of this year, the highest on record. In terms of weight, exports rose 10.3 percent year-on-year to a record 260,000 tons last year. This is second only to China (460,000 tons).

In terms of variety, instant noodle exports rose 13.5 percent year on year to $765 million, a new record high. It reached an all-time high of $132 million in January-February. China (191 million dollars), the United States (120 million dollars), and Japan (68 million dollars) were the largest export destinations with 143 countries.

According to an analysis by the Customs Service, instant food has become a must-have stock for people everywhere since the outbreak of COVID-19. K-Food, such as instant noodles, has become a leader in Korean food, gaining popularity through movies and TV series.