S. Korea's food exports to Thailand up nearly 15%

South Korea's food exports to Thailand rose 14.7 percent to US$112 million in the first half of due to the rising demand for ready-to-eat products triggered by the pandemic.

According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), cooking sauces increased the most, advancing to 89.7 percent, while instant noodles came in second with a 43.4 percent on-year increase in the first half.

During the period, South Korea's overall exports to Thailand dropped around 20 percent to reach $3.18 billion.

KOTRA noted that South Korea was able to ship more foodstuffs due to the increased demand for ready-to-eat food as people refrained from going outside due to the pandemic.

The popularity of South Korean entertainment content has also fueled demand.

Foodstuffs have been South Korea's growth engines for exports, as the pandemic has slowed down sales of key products such as automobiles and petrochemicals.

South Korea's exports slumped for a fifth consecutive month in July plunging 7 percent on-year.