South Korea’s exports of instant noodles hit a fresh all-time high in the first half of the year amid the increasing popularity of Korean pop culture and a rise in demand for home-cooked food, data showed.

Exports of instant noodles, or “ramyeon” in Korean, came to $383.4 million in the January-June period, according to data from the food industry and the Korea Customs Service. 

The figure was up 19.9 percent from the same period a year earlier when ramyeon exports rose to a record-high $319.69 million.

The rise is attributed to the growing popularity of K-culture and a rise in demand for food that can be easily cooked at home amid pandemic-related restrictions on public gatherings.

China was the largest market for ramyeon followed by the US and Japan. (Yonhap)