Seoul, March 30 : South Korea's exports of instant noodles reached an all-time high in 2022, boosted by the global popularity of Korean food and culture, data showed on Thursday. The country exported $862 million worth of noodles, including instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, and udon noodles, last year, up 12 per cent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. It marked the highest ever global sales for South Korean noodles, surpassing the previous record set in 2021, reports Yonhap News Agency. By volume, outbound shipment of noodles grew 10.3 percent on-year to 260,000 tonnes in 2022, also a record figure. South Korea was the world's second-largest exporter of noodles last year following China that sold 460,000 tons of the products, the data showed. The brisk shipment was attributed to the global popularity of Korean food, along with the popularity of Korean movies, dramas and music that boosted overseas demand. The Covid-19 pandemic also brought up the demand for ready-to-eat food products around the world. Among South Korean noodle exports, ramyeon was the No. 1 export item with $765 million in sales last year, up 13.5 per cent from a year earlier. By nation, China was the largest overseas market for South Korean noodles, with exports reaching $191 million, followed by the US with $120 million and Japan with $68 million. The South Korean noodle products were sold at 143 nations, or the largest ever figure, last year, the data showed. /IANS