South Korean food makers' profits grow in Russia despite war

Orion and Lotte churn out Choco Pie as other companies exit country on sanctions

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South Korean Choco Pie makers like Orion are enjoying rising sales in Russia. (Source photos by EPA/Yonhap/Jiji and AP)

KIM JAEWON, Nikkei staff writer

SEOUL -- South Korean food makers are expanding their presence -- and profits -- in Russia, even as international sanctions on the country over the invasion of Ukraine have sent its economy tumbling and driven foreign companies away.

Their success comes as U.S. coffee and fast food chains and South Korean companies in other sectors have withdrawn from the Russian market, joining international efforts to punish Moscow. McDonald's and Starbucks exited last year after President Vladimir Putin launched the military assault on Feb. 24.

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