South Korea's exports of instant noodles jumped 14.3 percent on-year in the first three months of 2023 to reach the highest figure for any first quarter ever amid the growing popularity of the Korean culture, data showed Sunday.

The country exported US$208 million worth of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, in the January-March period, up from $181.93 million a year earlier, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp.

It is the first time that the first-quarter exports have surpassed the $200 million level.

Ramyeon exports have been on a constant rise in recent years in line with the popularity of Korean movies, dramas and music, as well as high demand for ready-to-eat food products over the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

Last year, the country's exports of noodles, including ramyeon, udon noodles and other instant noodle items, reached a record high of $862 million. South Korea was the world's second-largest exporter of noodles last year following China, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.

But the country's overall agricultural and food exports fell 2 percent on-year to $2.17 billion in the first quarter of this year on sagging demand from the European Union, the United States and Southeast Asian countries, the food trade agency said.

Source: Yonhap News Agency