The National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, NongHyup, said Friday it plans to expand kimchi exports by 31.3 percent from a year earlier to 10 million U.S. dollars this year.

NongHyup will use mail-order sales and ads on TV home shopping networks in Japan to boost the sales in the market. Japan makes up more than 90 percent of overseas demand for kimchi.

The cooperative also plans to conduct promotional events for kimchi exports in major Japanese cities, including Tokyo and Osaka, and support Japanese media organizations' coverage of the pungent delicacy.

Americans consumed 154,000 worth of kimchi last year, and NongHyup hopes to whet their appetite for more by increasing distribution channels there and taking part in a U.S. food fair in May.

A NongHyup official said..."Kimchi has become a growth industry, showing 30-percent gains annually." He added his company will develop new kimchi products and diversify overseas markets.

Kimchi, a staple of the Korean diet, is fermented vegetables, mostly cabbage, heavily seasoned with garlic, red pepper, ginger, shredded radish and anchovy sauce.