South Korea's kimchi exports have hit a record high in the first half of this year, largely driven by increasing demand for a healthier diet and the growing popularity of Korean culture and cuisine, particularly in the US and European markets.

The country exported more than 23,852 tons of kimchi in the first six months of this year, marking a 4.8 percent increase from 22,842 tons in 2023. The export value also showed a 4 percent increase, reaching $83.8 million, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, or aT, on Sunday.

The increase in Korea's kimchi exports primarily came from rising imports from Western countries.

"In recent years, South Korea's kimchi exports have experienced a significant increase in Western countries, especially in North America and European nations, where there is a growing demand for healthier foods, including fermented and vegan foods," an aT official said. "Additionally, we assess that the rising global popularity of Korean culture and cuisine has also contributed to this trend."

The US, the second-largest importer of Korean kimchi after Japan, imported over 6,647 tons of kimchi from Korea in the first half of 2024, marking a 21.5 percent increase from the same period of last year.

Following the US, the Netherlands, Australia, the UK and Canada had the highest imports of Korean kimchi in the period, and all showed increases in their imports from Korea.

Meanwhile, Japan, traditionally the largest importer of kimchi, showed an 11.4 percent on-year decrease in its kimchi shipments from Korea, totaling 9,646 tons. During the same period, China imported nearly 6.6 tons of kimchi from Korea.

According to the same report by aT, Korea's annual kimchi exports have been rising steadily since 2019. The figures significantly increased from 29,628 tons in 2019 to 39,750 tons in 2020 and continued to rise to 42,540 tons in 2021. After a slight dip to 41,120 tons in 2022, they reached 44,040 tons in 2023.