South Korea's exports of kimchi hit an all-time high last year, rising more than ten percent on-year to just under one hundred sixty million U.S. dollars.
Imports of the Korean side dish dropped by seven.seven percent, though, following a scandal in March involving a naked man filmed pickling kimchi in a factory in China.
Data from the Korea Customs Service shows kimchi recorded a trade surplus for the first time since 2009.
Yonhap News also attributes the increase to foreign countries' perception of kimchi as a healthy dish capable of boosting immunity.
Half of 2021's exports went to Japan, followed by the United States.
Forty-two.five thousand tons of kimchi were exported by Korea in 2021.
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