Exports of Korean instant noodles, or ramyeon, shot up by nearly 30 percent last year to a new record high. 

According to the Korea Customs Service and industry sources, outbound shipments of ramyeon recorded 670 billion won in 2020. Twenty-four-point-seven percent of the total went to China, followed by the U.S., Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.

Industry pundits attribute the rise in demand to the pandemic as more people are stuck at home cooking. They also point to the "Parasite" effect as increasing the global recognition of ramyeon. The "jjapaguri" instant noodle concoction was featured in the Oscar-winning Korean film.