'Dumplings' are the latest demonstration of BTS Jimin's strong influence after a reported 3rd quarter exports increase

Jimin's global popularity has prompted a massive influence on anything he associates with himself. This impact is evident from the constant news reports on sold out items after he has been spotted with the said items [read examples here and here], various locations becoming tourism hotspots after he visits them, or as long as the venue is associated with him [read details here] such as the recent exclusive exhibition of his custom-made hanbok [detailed here], and even the increased popularity of Korean food products which Jimin has been seen eating [read here]. 

The Korean food sector is one of the areas where his impact has been witnessed significantly. Previously credited for the growing global popularity of domestic foods like ramen and tteokbokki, which continue to draw attention and have recorded big increases in export volumes, Jimin is now in the headlines for spiking an increase in the exports of dumplings as well.

On January 5th, KBS News aired a segment on the popularity of Korean noodles abroad after YouTubers in the US made the 'spicy fire noodles challenge' following Jimin's video of him eating the spicy chicken noodles became a hot topic on the internet. The news segment further reiterates that ramen sales on Amazon, the largest online retailer globally, went up and saw the product place 6th on the popular foods product list. The channel played 'Filter' in the background while airing the news, a song performed by Jimin which has set various records on different music streaming and digital sales platforms.

Similarly, just a day before, the media had published an article reporting on the increased popularity of dumplings as the latest addition to Jimin's impact on Korean food exports, after tteokbokki (whose exports were reported to surpass $100 million for the first time ever in 2019 and Forbes even selected Korean-style tteokbokki and KBBQ as one of the food trends leading the year 2020) and spicy chicken noodles. 

As per the Korean media reports, Bloomberg News stated that the 'Bibigo' product had reported a 19% increase in exports in the third quarter, with an 8% increase reported in the US. 

This increase is credited to the 'dumpling incident,' which is mentioned in Jimin's self-written, composed, and produced song 'Friends,' which made headlines across the globe last year when it was featured as an official soundtrack in the highly anticipated Marvel movie release 'Eternals.' The inclusion of the song was due to the movie director's strong liking for Jimin as well as the song, which also happened to match the theme of one of the key scenes in the movie [refer here]. This feature had a significant impact on ticket sales and publicity of the movie, so much so that even the Eternals team and Marvel Studios acknowledged it [read here]. Thus, it is undeniable that the song and its message caused this stir in dumpling sales.

Other foods where Jimin has shown his influence is the coffee market, especially in Italy, which is known as the home of coffee, where his name has become a household name after his Vlive with RM, where they made dalgona coffee [read here].

Jimin's popularity is unimaginable, and he is much loved, praised, and cherished in his home country for the positive impact he brings to his country's economy just by doing his daily activities. In promoting his country's food and culture globally to benefit the economy, he is a treasure and the pride of South Korea.