South Korean snacks have increasingly gained popularity in Germany as more consumers there are interested in new flavors, driven by the rising popularity of Korean pop culture in Europe, industry data showed Friday.
Exports of Korean snacks to Germany were tallied at $43.57 million in the first nine months of the year, nearly quadrupling from $11.56 million in 2013, according to the data compiled by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.
Consumers choose Korean snacks at a supermarket in Seoul on May 2, 2016. (Yonhap file photo)
The outbound shipments of Korean snacks have steadily increased from $11.56 million in 2013, $22.65 million in 2014 and $39.17 million in 2015, KOTRA's Hamburg branch said.
KOTRA interpreted the growing preferences for Korean snacks as part of broader European interest in South Korea and its pop culture, dubbed the "Korean Wave," calling for more efforts to raise awareness of Korean brands.
"German consumers are familiar with Korean companies and brands, and show high satisfaction," KOTRA said. "Korean companies need to step up promotions combining cultural events to lower emotional barriers and expand the consumer base."
Major Korean confectionery companies are increasingly setting their sights on a wider market after seeing robust growth in China and Southeast Asia over the past years amid slower growth at home. (Yonhap)
