South Korea's exports of ice cream reached an all-time high in the first half of this year, data showed Tuesday, amid a global heat wave and the growing popularity of Korean culture.

Overseas shipments of South Korean-made ice-cream products came to $50 million in the January-June period, up 14 percent from a year earlier to reach a record high, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.

Imports inched up 0.3 percent on-year to $28 million, also hitting an all-time high, during the cited period.

The United States was the largest export destination for South Korean ice cream with $18 million, accounting for 36 percent of the total.

The Philippines, Canada and Vietnam were also among major markets, the data showed.

"Overseas demand appears to have risen due to the hot weather across the globe. More people also gained interest in the Korean food items on the back of pop culture popularity, and companies have come up with various tailored items," the agency said.

South Korea accounted for 1.6 percent of the global ice cream market, up from 1.3 percent in 2019, the data showed. (Yonhap)