| Hongsam or red ginseng |
By Park Si-soo
South Korea's exports of ginseng and related products set a record value of $211 million in 2019, up 12.4 percent from the previous year, according to data from the Ministry of Food and Rural Affairs on Wednesday.
It was the first time exports of the items surpassed $200 million.
Leading the surge were red ginseng extracts, red ginseng-based drinks and snacks, and ginseng-based drinks ― each saw a 60-65 percent increase year-on-year.
"This sends a clear signal that overseas demand for Korean ginsengs and related products is increasing," an official at Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation said.
China imported the biggest volume ― $71.08 million ― up 37 percent from 2018. Vietnam was second with $21.43 million, up 39.8 percent.