Methodology — The K-Food Export Index
- Source
- Korea Customs Service trade statistics (관세청 수출입무역통계) — official customs clearance statistics published by the Korea Customs Service (관세청) at tradedata.go.kr. Data year: 2025. Retrieved 2026-08-29.
- What defines each product
- Customs commodity codes, not brand names: Ramyeon = HS 1902.30 · Kimchi = HSK 2005.99.1000 · Soju = HSK 2208.90.4000. Countries are ranked by export value (USD); tonnage is shown alongside because value and volume rank differently — some markets buy premium, some buy bulk.
- Update cadence
- The source updates monthly; we refresh when a full year closes and label the data year on the index page.
Limits worth knowing before you cite this
- Exports measure where boxes ship, not where they are eaten. The Netherlands ranks high on ramyeon partly because Rotterdam is Europe’s entry port — a distribution hub, not just an appetite.
- HS codes are broader than brands. “Ramyeon” here is every instant noodle under HS 1902.30, not one famous red packet. Local production abroad (factories in China or the US) does not appear in Korean export figures at all.
- Kimchi cuts both ways. Korea also imports large volumes of kimchi; this index ranks export destinations only and says nothing about the trade balance.