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Not a 'gim'-mick: Seaweed sales expected to hit $1 billion this year as key Korean export

Published: 03 Nov. 2025, 16:54 Updated: 03 Nov. 2025, 17:43

Foreign tourists shop for dried seaweed at a large supermarket in Seoul on Nov. 3. [NEWS1]

Korea is projected to surpass its $1 billion export target for dried seaweed, known as gim in Korean, this year, which would mark an all-time high.

Outbound shipments reached $882.33 million through the first three quarters of 2025, up about 14 percent from the same period last year, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation said on Monday.

Seaweed exports, which totaled roughly $600 million in 2020, briefly declined in 2022 during the Covid-19 pandemic, but have since surged to nearly four times the level of a decade ago.

“The global popularity of content like [Netflix film] 'KPop Demon Hunters' has fueled greater interest in K-food this year,” a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official said. “Dishes that use gim, such as gimbap (seaweed rice roll), have also drawn attention, which helped increase exports.”

Last year’s exports totaled $997 million, slightly below the $1 billion goal that the ministry had originally set for 2027.

At the current pace, Korea is expected to reach the $1 billion export target this year. But new tariff negotiations with the United States could result in a 15 percent duty on gim.

“Importers may raise prices and consumption could dip slightly, though the overall export trend remains strong,” an oceans ministry official said.

By country, Japan imported the most gim at $189.75 million, followed by the United States with $183.25 million, China with $89.2 million and Thailand with $82.98 million. Exports to China rose 41.4 percent on year, while shipments to Japan rose 18.4 percent and those to the United States increased 14.2 percent.

To build on the growing popularity, the ministry plans to establish “K-Gim” as a global brand, similar to how hanwoo represents premium Korean beef.

The initiative includes efforts to standardize gim, which is currently referred to by Japanese or English names like nori or seaweed, under the name “GIM” and turn it into a globally recognized brand.

“If we make Korean gim an international standard, we can expand exports to markets with stricter regulations, such as Europe,” an oceans ministry official said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-HEE [[email protected]]