Korean ice cream. — YONHAP/VNA Photo

South Korea’s exports of ice cream to Viet Nam jumped 30 per cent in 2019 from a year earlier on the back of the growing popularity of Korean culture in Southeast Asia, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) reported late last week.

Outbound shipments of ice cream to Viet Nam reached US$7 million in 2019, rising sharply from $5.3 million in 2018, according to KOTRA, adding that South Korea took up 35.6 per cent of Viet Nam’s ice cream imports last year.

Experts said the growth was attributable to the cultural wave of “hallyu” in Asian countries, which refers to the boom of Korea-made entertainment goods, including foodstuffs.

“Viet Nam is an attractive destination for ice cream producers as the country’s average income has been rising steadily,” KOTRA said in its report.

Viet Nam was the third-largest export destination for South Korea in 2019, after China and the US. — VNS