▶ Overseas tobacco sales for the January-March period totaled $209.34 million, up 38 percent from the year before, the highest quarterly achievement since its first export in 1988. Picture: A consumer buys KT&G ‘Time’ at a cigarette store in the U.S.

KT&G set a new milestone in overseas sales during the first quarter, exceeding $200 million for the first time ever.

Overseas tobacco sales for the January-March period totaled $209.34 million, up 38 percent from the year before, the highest quarterly achievement since its first export in 1988.

Sales in key regions that include the Mideast, Central Asia and Russia climbed 30 percent from a year ago. Sales in new markets such as America, South East Asia, Africa and Latin America also surged 48 percent, showing a balanced growth outside Korea. Sales in Africa and Latin America, in particular, skyrocketed 59 percent and 186 percent, respectively, leading the overseas sales growth.

Sales volume also jumped. Q1 outbound sales amounted to 12.6 billion sticks, while its domestic sales volume stayed at 10.5 billion sticks. KT&G’s outbound sales volume reached 46.5 billion sticks, which outperformed its domestic sales of 40.6 billion sticks.

Esse accounted for over a half of the company’s exports. The super-slim cigarette is the top-selling brand at home for more than a decade, and controls over one-third of the world’s super-slim cigarette markets.

A company official said that KT&G grew up to the world’s fifth largest tobacco producer that sells products across 50 countries, adding that the company will keep exploring opportunities in emerging markets with high growth potential.

▶ KT&G’s Q1 overseas sales of recent four years

▶ KT&G exports to 50 countries