South Korea’s exports of kimchi climbed nearly 14 percent in the first eight months of 2021 on growing overseas demand for healthier food amid the new coronavirus pandemic, data showed.

Outbound shipments of kimchi reached $111.5 million in the January-August period, up 13.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service and the food industry.

In contrast, imports of kimchi shrank 9.7 percent on-year to $86.1 million over the cited period, resulting in a trade surplus of $25.4 million in the sector.

In light of the trend, Korea is widely expected to register a surplus in the kimchi trade for the first time in 12 years in 2021. (Yonhap)