This year, South Korea's fruit exports have reached an all-time high in the first half of the year, driven by a premium strategy emphasizing high sweetness and freshness, alongside the growing recognition of K-food due to the spread of K-content.
According to the Korea Customs Service on July 16, the export value of fruits in the first half of the year was $95.72 million, marking a 19.7% increase compared to the same period last year, and setting a record for the highest first-half performance. Although fruit exports decreased from $87.46 million in 2023 to $74.84 million in 2024, they rebounded to $79.99 million last year and have now risen to $95.72 million this year.
Fruit exports in South Korea are typically concentrated in the second half of the year. Last year, the export share for the first half was 33.3%, while the second half accounted for 66.7%. Following a record annual fruit export value of $240.49 million last year, the continued growth this year increases the likelihood of setting a new annual record for the second consecutive year.
By category, strawberries, grapes, and pears accounted for 90.2% of total exports. Strawberry exports reached $60.49 million, a 15.8% increase year-on-year, achieving the highest first-half performance on record. Strawberries are the leading category, making up 63.2% of total fruit exports, with Singapore and Thailand serving as major markets at $19.21 million and $16.56 million, respectively.
Grape exports totaled $17.83 million, a 26.5% increase. Taiwan accounted for over half of total grape exports at $9.20 million, with exports also expanding to Hong Kong and Singapore. Pear exports reached $8.03 million, a 62.4% increase compared to the previous year. The United States accounted for $4.43 million, more than half of pear exports, with significant growth in exports to Vietnam as well.
The number of countries importing South Korean fruits in the first half of the year reached a record high of 61, an increase of seven countries from 54 in the same period last year. Singapore emerged as the largest export market, accounting for 23.9% of total exports at $22.88 million, followed by Thailand at $17.71 million and Taiwan at $11.60 million. The top three countries together accounted for 54.5% of total exports.
Regionally, Gyeongnam, Gyeongbuk, and Chungnam led the exports. Gyeongnam accounted for $54.92 million, or 57.4% of the total, marking its 18th consecutive year as the top exporter in the first half. A remarkable 98.0% of Gyeongnam's exports were strawberries. Gyeongbuk contributed $21.68 million, or 22.7%, with grapes making up 73.8% of the region's exports. Chungnam accounted for $6.12 million, or 6.4%, supported by exports of pears and strawberries.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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