Fishery exports jump to record high in 2019

South Korea's exports of fishery products climbed to a new high last year, the maritime ministry said Thursday, despite a large drop in the country's overall exports.

Outbound shipments of fishery products came to $2.51 billion in 2019, up 5.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

It marks the first time the country's exports of fishery products breached the $2.5-billion mark.

(Yonhap)

"The country reached record highs in fishery exports for a second consecutive year despite a downturn in overall exports caused by the spread of global trade protectionism and an economic slump," the ministry said in a press release.

South Korea's overall exports plunged 10.3 percent from a year earlier in 2019, marking the largest on-year drop in exports in a decade.

By product, shipments of dried laver surged 10.3 percent on-year to some $580 million, spearheading the increase in exports.

Shipments of Spanish mackerel spiked 65.7 percent to over $55 million. (Yonhap)