South Korea, where semiconductor exports dominate trade, has found another success story in an edible export — dried seaweed, or gim in Korean.
Dubbed the “black semiconductor” for its rising export performance — albeit on a smaller scale than its microchip counterpart — gim has become a vital contributor to the Korean economy and leads the nation’s seafood exports.
According to data from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korean gim’s export value soared by 25.8 percent on-year to reach a record high of $997 million in 2024. With the US, Japan and China as major importers, Korea accounts for over 70 percent of the global seaweed market.
Korean seaweed exports accounted for nearly one-third of the country’s total seafood export revenue of $3.03 billion last year. Overall seafood exports also grew by 1.2 percent from the previous year’s figure of $2.99 billion.
This global success stems from gim’s distinctive taste, nutritional value and role as a sustainable food source that benefits marine ecosystems.
Not to mention its importance in making gimbap, a seaweed-wrapped rice roll that is now a global K-food sensation. Gim has transcended cultural boundaries to become a versatile ingredient in dishes ranging from broths and casseroles to pizza and even ice cream.
To strengthen gim’s Korean identity in the international market, the Ocean Ministry launched an initiative last October, through the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to establish gim as the standardized term worldwide, replacing terms like nori, seaweed and laver.
The ministry stated that the global standard approval is expected to help gim products qualify for reduced tariff barriers, thus boosting exports.
These ongoing efforts will take more concrete shape at a committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, where industry experts and government officials will discuss key policy initiatives for the sector’s sustainable development in both domestic and global markets.
With debates focused gim’s price stabilization, online sales growth and the introduction of a quality grading system, the committee will also assess the industry’s outlook in light of challenges posed by an oversupply of raw seaweed.
“To maintain Korean gim’s global competitiveness, we need seamless coordination across production, processing and distribution,” said Oceans and Fisheries Minister Kang Do-hyung, vowing the ministry’s full support for the sustainable development of the industry.
By No Kyung-min (minmin@heraldcorp.com)
