South Korea's exports of soju, a distilled Korean liquor, to Southeast Asian countries rose sharply in the first half of this year thanks to the growing popularity of Korean music and dramas in the region.

Hite Jinro, South Korea's leading soju maker said on Sunday that its overseas sales of soju products in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries reached five million dollars in the first six months of the year, up 51-point-five percent from a year earlier.

The company posted eight-point-eight million dollars in soju exports to the region last year, up from six million dollars in 2016 and four-point-nine million dollars in 2015.

A company official said that in Southeast Asia, young people are interested in Korean drinks and food as the Korean Wave of dramas and movies have been gaining popularity among them.

The company expects its soju exports to Southeast Asia to hit ten million dollars for the first time by the end of this year.