S. Korean imports of kimchi decline in Oct.

SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean imports of kimchi, the country's staple
side dish made of spicy pickled cabbage, declined in October due to bumper
domestic harvests and lower cabbage prices, the nation's customs office said
Tuesday.
Imports of kimchi dropped 36 percent last month from a year earlier to 123,904
tons, according to the Korea Customs Service.
The customs office said local consumer preference for cheaper Chinese-made kimchi
dwindled, and prices of locally-produced cabbages declined, which helped reduce
demand for imported kimchi.
Chinese-made kimchi accounted for 13.5 percent of local consumption estimated at
1.64 million tons last year.
According to the office, South Korea imported a record US$112.7 million worth of
kimchi or 222,370 tons last year, fueled by demand from restaurants and catering
services.
In the meantime, exports of kimchi rose 5 percent year-on-year last month to
22,949 tons as demand for locally-made kimchi from Japanese consumers increased,
it said,
Last year, the country sold a total of 26,897 tons of kimchi overseas.
sam@yna.co.kr
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