S. Korea's food exports reach record high in H1

SEOUL, July 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's food product exports hit a new half-year high in the first six months of the year due to growing overseas demand fueled by the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the government said Tuesday. Overseas shipments of agricultural and other food products amounted to US$3.44 billion in the January-June period, up 33.2 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Exports for all industrial sectors registered double-digit increases in the first half of the year with forest products, such as mushrooms, posting the largest increase of 51.3 percent from a year earlier. The number of items that sold over $50 million worth in overseas markets increased from seven last year to 12, according to the ministry. "The country is expected to achieve its goal of $10 billion in agricultural and marine product exports for the first time since 2008 when the target was set for 2012, as exports are usually higher in the second half of the year that includes the harvest season," the ministry said. Exports of makgeolli, the country's traditional rice wine, shot up 243 percent on-year to over $30 million, reflecting the growing popularity of what is widely considered a healthy alcoholic drink. Exports of brown seaweed also jumped 134.5 percent from a year earlier to $25.7 million, the ministry said, largely because of a growing demand for South Korean seaweed in Japan where a radiation scare caused by the March 11 quake and tsunami is causing people to turn away from Japanese marine products. By country, exports to Taiwan posted the largest gain of 67.9 percent from a year earlier, followed by exports to China, which increased 57.4 percent, the ministry said.