South Korea’s exports of dried seaweed products, known as "gim" in Korean, have surpassed the $1 billion mark for the first time amid rising global demand led by the US, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Sunday.
As of Thursday, seaweed exports had risen 13.2 percent from the same period last year to $1.02 billion. Full-year seaweed exports have been on an upward climb, rising from $793 million in 2023 to $997 million in 2024.
The United States was Korea’s top seaweed export destination, with shipments totaling $220 million, up 15.3 percent from a year earlier. Exports to Japan followed with a 13.8 percent on-year rise to $210 million, while China posted the largest increase, jumping 36.6 percent to $100 million. Thailand ($88 million) and Russia ($85 million) came in as the fourth and fifth destinations.
“This milestone is a meaningful achievement made possible by the synergy between government policy and private sector innovation,” said a ministry official, pledging continued support to boost the global competitiveness of Korean seaweed products.
The Oceans Ministry has been scaling up infrastructure assistance for the industry, including expanding seaweed farming licenses, modernizing facilities and supporting international certifications. Seaweed product development for overseas markets has gone hand in hand with K-culture-based marketing initiatives, the ministry explained.
Moves to standardize Korean seaweed products at the international level are also in progress.
On Nov. 17, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international food standards organization, approved the launch of a new initiative to develop global standards for seaweed products. The proposed standards are set to cover product quality, hygiene, labeling and testing methods.
minmin@heraldcorp.com
