Exports of Korean instant noodles, or ramyeon, rose by over ten percent last year to a new record high.

According to the Korea Customs Service and industry sources on Sunday, outbound shipments of ramyeon recorded 674 million U.S. dollars in 2021, up eleven-point-seven percent from a year earlier.

China was the largest importer of Korean ramyeon last year, importing 149 million dollars, followed by the United States, Japan and Thailand.

Exports of the food item posted growth for the seventh consecutive year since 2015, replacing new highs every year over the period.

Exports soared by nearly 30 percent on-year in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world.

Industry pundits attribute the rise in demand to the pandemic as more people are stuck at home cooking. They also point to the "Parasite" effect as increasing the global recognition of ramyeon. The "jjapaguri" instant noodle concoction was featured in the Oscar-winning Korean film.