SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - Korean snacks are captivating the palates of consumers worldwide amid the soaring global popularity of K-pop.
Exports of Korean confectionery totaled US$494.2 million during the first eight months of this year, a 15.4-percent increase compared to the same period of last year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on Monday.
If this trend continues, the total amount of confectionery exports for this year are projected to surpass $700 million or nearly one trillion Korean won for the first time, the ministry estimated.
Among the most popular snacks are chocolate-covered pretzel sticks "Pepero" and potato chips "Honey Butter Chips."
Korean retailers are intensifying their global efforts to take advantage of this export boom.
Lotte Wellfood has been running a global marketing campaign featuring girl band NewJeans in about a dozen countries since 2020, to capitalize on their popularity. It proved successful, as the total amount of Pepero exports surged to 54 billion won, a whopping 80 percent increase.
"Korean companies try to offer products with various flavors that cater to local tastes, one of the reasons behind their record sales," a ministry official speculated.
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