Fruits are displayed at a supermarket in Seoul on June 28. (Yonhap) South Korea's fruit exports reached a record high in the first half of 2026, customs data showed Thursday, driven by global demand for premium products and improved cold-chain shipping infrastructure.Fruit exports during the January-June period reached $95.72 million, up 19.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Customs Service. The figure for all of 2025 stood at a record $240 million."Taking into account that Korean fruits are mostly harvested and shipped in the second half, we expect exports to reach a fresh high for the second consecutive year if the current momentum continues," the agency said.The agency attributed the robust performance to South Korea's strategy of offering premium products tailored to different markets, along with cold-chain shipping infrastructure that allows exporters to maintain freshness.Strawberries accounted for 63.2 percent of the exports, followed by grapes and pears at 18.6 percent and 8.4 percent, respectively.By destination, Singapore accounted for 23.9 percent of the exports, followed by Thailand and Taiwan at 18.5 percent and 12.1 percent, respectively.The data also showed that South Gyeongsang Province accounted for 57.4 percent of the fruit exports, followed by North Gyeongsang and South Chungcheong provinces at 22.7 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. (Yonhap)