South Korea's exports of ice cream reached a record high in the first half of 2023, data showed Friday, on the back of the growing popularity of Korean entertainment content across the globe.

Outbound shipments of ice cream reached $59 million in the January-June period, up 19.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service.

The figure almost doubled South Korea's ice cream imports, which came to $30 million, up 7.5 percent over the period.

"Exports gained ground as demand for snacks to cope with the scorching heat rose, coupled with the popularity of Korean cultural content," the agency said.

Shipments to the United States accounted for the largest volume of $19 million, followed by China with $7 million.

The exports to China more than doubled on-year on the back of eased COVID-19 restrictions.

Exports to the Philippines and Canada accounted for $6 million and $5 million, respectively, the data showed. (Yonhap)