Storyline: ROK benefits from Chinese products [Voice_over] Trade between China and South Korea-or the Republic of Korea-has remained steady this year, new data shows. One of the most heavily traded items is the Korean culinary staple-kimchi. The spicy cabbage condiment can get expensive in the ROK if the price of cabbage goes up, which is does often due to inclement weather. During one memorable cabbage shortage in the ROK last year, the price for one head was more than 18 U.S. dollars. To keep store shelves stocked, the ROK imports a large amount of its kimchi from China. Last year 99 percent of the 310,000 tons of imported kimchi was from China. Food company workers from the ROK say Chinese kimchi can be a lifeline when prices for domestic cabbages increase. [Sound_bite] Seo Hong-won, Executive director, food company: "Chinese kimchi products account for about 40 percent of the total kimchi distributed in Korea. When the price of Korean cabbage soars, Chinese kimchi acts as a major substitute and plays a role in stabilizing prices." [Voice_over] Other reliable Chinese products being imported into the ROK are drones, especially those used for agriculture. As part of a larger program to aid farmers, the ROK government provides subsidies or loans for agriculture equipment, including drones made in China. Here ROK farmers are using the drones for sowing and fertilizing rice fields. For the companies that make the drones, business has been soaring. [Sound_bite] Jung Du Heon, General representative, ROK branch, Chinese drone manufacturer DJI: "In 2024, the sales volume of our agricultural drones increased by more than three times compared to 2019. The core factors are the performance and reliability of the product." [Voice_over] In 2024, trade between the two countries grew to more than 320 billion U.S. dollars, with China remaining the ROK's largest trading partner, and the ROK becoming China's second largest trading partner. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]