South Korea's exports of food and agricultural products rose 8.5 percent from a year earlier last month on a sharp increase in shipments to China, the government said Sunday.
Outbound shipments of farm goods, including dairy and livestock products, amounted to US$495.3 million last month, compared with $458 million worth of products exported in January 2014, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The increase was largely attributed to a surge in shipments to China and other Chinese-speaking countries, such as Taiwan, where a widespread popularity of South Korea's pop culture, often referred to as hallyu, has helped improve the brand image of South Korean products as well.
Shipments to China, already the world's second-largest importer of South Korea's agricultural goods, spiked 40.9 percent on-year to $86.4 million, the ministry said in a press release.
Exports to Taiwan surged 25.6 percent on-year to $22.8 million last month, with shipments to the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations jumping 19.5 percent to $84.8 million over the cited period, according to the ministry.
In contrast, shipments to Japan, the world's single largest market for South Korean foodstuffs, plunged 12.7 percent to $100.6 million.
Exports of processed goods, such as tobacco and beer, rose 11 percent on-year to $412.2 million last month, more than offsetting a 4 percent on-year drop in shipments of fresh foodstuffs, including vegetables, the ministry said. (Yonhap)
