Seoul: South Korea's food exports increased nearly 5 percent from a year earlier in the first four months of this year, mainly driven by strong global demand for Korean instant noodle products and fruits, the agriculture ministry said Thursday. Outbound shipments of foodstuffs rose 4.7 percent on-year to US$3.58 billion in the January-April period.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs reported that exports of instant noodle products, or ramyeon, jumped 28.9 percent on-year to $620 million. Overseas shipments of snacks increased by 7.7 percent to $265 million. Shipments of beverages and processed rice products expanded 6.5 percent and 11.7 percent to $240 million and $101 million, respectively.

Exports of fruits also saw a considerable rise, with shipments of strawberries increasing 16.5 percent to $57.4 million. Grapes experienced a 25.5 percent growth to reach $17.5 million, and pears surged 62.4 percent to $7.7 million.

By destination, shipments to the United States climbed 8.9 percent on-year to $659 million, while exports to China added 15.5 percent to $523 million. Exports to the European Union gained 8.7 percent to $332 million. Notably, exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council member nations in the Middle East jumped 37.6 percent to $160 million, despite the geopolitical crisis in the region.

The ministry has been assisting food companies exporting to the Middle East by finding alternative transport routes. It has vowed swift execution of $7.2 billion in export vouchers for such companies to help lower their cost burdens.