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By Kang Hyun-kyung
South Korea's kimchi exports last year reached a record-high of $159.9 million with a 19.2 million surplus, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
It's the first time for the nation to see a surplus in kimchi trade since 2009. South Korea also imports kimchi mainly from China.
According to the agriculture ministry, kimchi exports have grown annually 18 percent in the past five years.
Over the past five years, the number of importing nations has increased from 61 countries in 2016 to 89 countries last year.
The popularity of Korean pop music and dramas overseas is believed to be one of the factors that boosted the growth of kimchi exports as overseas hallyu fans' interest in Korean food has grown.
The agriculture ministry said it would continue to make efforts to increase kimchi exports while putting an equal emphasis on discovering other food and agricultural products that can be exported.